Europe’s top leaders convening in Armenia for key Political Community Summit

European leaders on Monday are gathering for the eighth meeting of the European Political Community summit in Armenia’s capital Yerevan to discuss closer cooperation on democracy, energy security, and economic ties.

This year’s summit, with the theme “Building the Future: Unity and Stability in Europe,” will be co-chaired by European Council President Antonio Costa and Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia’s prime minister.

The first European Union-Armenia summit is set to take place on Tuesday, with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations. Last year, the Armenian government announced its intention to pursue EU membership, marking a shift away from Moscow’s influence.

The leaders of more than 40 countries are set to attend the two-day summit, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Ahead of the summit on Sunday, Starmer and Zelenskyy met and discussed the need to strengthen defense cooperation with European partners and the importance of protecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amid the war with Russia.

Türkiye is being represented at its highest level since 2008 by Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, reflecting growing momentum in Türkiye’s normalization process with Armenia.

Relations between the two are seeing one of their most active periods since the 1990s thanks to the normalization steps taken in recent years.

On April 28, officials met in Kars to discuss reopening the Kars-Gyumri railway, which has been unused for 33 years. If restored, this link could become a vital artery for regional trade.

Meanwhile, Armenia is widely seen as actively reshaping its foreign policy, pursuing a more balanced and diversified approach as it navigates shifting regional dynamics in the South Caucasus.

Officials describe this shift as a “multi-vector” foreign policy aimed at strengthening sovereignty and reducing external vulnerabilities.