1st ever Armenia-EU summit kicks off in Yerevan

The first-ever bilateral summit between the EU and Armenia began on Tuesday in Armenia’s capital Yerevan.

The landmark meeting followed the 8th European Political Community summit, which had brought over 40 European leaders to the city just a day earlier.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa also arrived in Yerevan to meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for talks that signaled a profound shift in the region’s political landscape.

“This milestone summit between the EU-Armenia will deepen bilateral cooperation as well as mark an important investment in increased peace, connectivity and prosperity in the South Caucasus,” Costa noted ahead of the talks.

It comes as Armenia’s relations with Russia have become increasingly strained since 2023.

While remaining a member of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union, Armenia has formally declared its ambition to seek EU membership and has frozen its participation in the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization.