European leaders gathered in Yerevan on May 4 for a major summit, while the Turkish vice president paid a landmark visit to the Armenian capital, marking the first high-level trip from Ankara to the South Caucasus country.
On May 4, the Armenian capital will host more than 30 European leaders, alongside Canada’s prime minister, for the European Political Community (EPC) summit. The gathering brings together heads of state and government from across the continent in what has become a key forum for dialogue on security, energy, migration and regional cooperation in Europe.
Türkiye was represented by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz. His visit constituted the first-ever high-level visit from Türkiye to Armenia. Local media previously reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was invited to the event.
This gathering will be followed on May 5 by the first-ever bilateral EU-Armenia summit. The meeting will be attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, reflecting the EU’s deepening political and strategic engagement with Armenia, a former key Russia ally.
Delivering an opening speech, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan described the EPC format as an important platform for diplomacy in the region, stating that it has contributed to building dialogue not only between Armenia and Azerbaijan but also with other regional partners, including Türkiye.
In a notable sign of improving regional relations, Pashinyan has also said he hopes to visit Azerbaijan in 2028.
Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev took part via video link, something an EU official said was "highly significant" and reflected progress in ties with bitter rival Armenia after the signing of a peace deal last year.
The regional normalization process has accelerated since the August 2025 agreement in Washington, where Aliyev and Pashinyan signed a major peace accord with U.S. mediation. S
Relations between Yerevan and its traditional ally Moscow have become strained in recent years, in part because Russian peacekeepers failed to intervene during military conflicts with Azerbaijan.
Under Pashinyan, Armenia has formally pursued a strategy of what he calls "diversification,” in which the landlocked country pursues ties with both Russia and the West.
