The European Union has found itself in a stalemate: Alexey Anpilogov

Alexey Anpilogov, political scientist, commented to Alpha News on the visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Ursula von der Leyen’s visit is complex in nature, because the European Union has a fairly clear and tangible interest in the South Caucasus region. This is, first and foremost, Azerbaijan’s energy resources. That’s connected to the fact that the EU currently finds itself in a rather deadlocked situation. On one hand, the policy of transitioning to so-called ‘green’ energy sources continues; on the other, one must understand that without fossil fuels, and with a rapid move away from them, EU industry begins to suffer. That’s why the EU is searching for alternative sources of energy supply, and its bet on the American market has turned out not to be fully justified, since American energy resources are, first, needed by America itself, and second, quite expensive. Against the backdrop of continuing turmoil in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, where the situation remains unstable, the only stable alternative direction remaining is the energy resources of Azerbaijan and Central Asia more broadly: Turkmenistan and other republics of the former USSR that are included in this route. Interest in Armenia in this context is primarily logistical, since the shortest route to the pipeline system already built on Turkish territory passes through its territory. So any new gas and oil pipelines must, one way or another, take the Armenian factor into account. Ursula von der Leyen, in this sense, is acting out of quite pragmatic and understandable considerations,” the Alpha News interlocutor believes.

According to Anpilogov, what Europe needs from Armenia above all is human capital, and efforts in this direction will intensify.

“I believe the draining of labor resources from the South Caucasus in the EU’s favor will continue. The most highly qualified specialists will be singled out and recruited, and in return they will mainly be offered promises of abstract freedoms, European integration, and so on. The situation is fairly clear: it’s unlikely anyone will admit Armenia into the European Union. The question of Turkey, in my view, clearly demonstrates the EU’s attitude toward countries outside the European continent and a different cultural environment. To sum up, these are the main points that I think will be discussed behind closed doors with Armenian elites,” the expert concluded.