Armenia hosted its first bilateral summit with the European Union on Tuesday, marking a significant diplomatic shift for the Caucasus nation as it seeks to reduce its reliance on longtime ally Russia. The summit in Yerevan followed the eighth gathering of the European Political Community, which brought dozens of European leaders to the Armenian capital on Monday to discuss defence issues and the situation in Iran.
During the bilateral meeting, Armenia and the EU signed a connectivity partnership aimed at strengthening economic ties and deepening security cooperation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Europe is ready to help Armenia become a regional hub for global trade routes, including investment in local energy production and connections across the Black Sea. EU investments in Armenia are expected to reach 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion) under the bloc's global gateway infrastructure programme.
The summit underscores Armenia's westward turn amid deteriorating relations with Moscow. Tensions have grown since 2023, when Azerbaijan reclaimed the Karabakh region, ending decades of ethnic Armenian separatist rule. Armenian authorities accused Russian peacekeepers of failing to prevent the offensive, while Moscow, preoccupied with the war in Ukraine, rejected the claims. Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Center in Yerevan, described the war as 'a belated demonstration that Russia is dangerously unreliable as a partner.'
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government has pursued closer ties with the West, a move welcomed by the EU. In 2025, Armenia's parliament passed a law declaring the country's intention to seek EU membership. However, Giragosian noted that Tuesday's summit focused on deepening the existing relationship rather than advancing candidacy, adding that 'the symbolic significance is much greater as a message to Russia.'
Armenia has taken other symbolic steps away from Moscow, including joining the International Criminal Court in 2023 and freezing its participation in the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization in 2024. However, it remains a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, a single market that includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. President Vladimir Putin has warned that Armenia cannot belong to both the EEU and the EU simultaneously.
