EU steps up activity in the Caucasus: what to expect from the Yerevan summit? Hakob Badalyan

The visit of Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Yerevan for the 8th European Political Community Summit does not present much intrigue and is unlikely to have significant consequences unless there is substantive content in relations with Armenia, according to political commentator Hakob Badalyan.

In an interview with Alpha News, Badalyan said the visit is essentially formal in nature. “This visit is linked to the European Political Community Summit, and no information about working or official meetings has been published so far,” he noted.

Commenting on relations between the European Union and Armenia, Badalyan also referred to a statement by Kaja Kallas, who said Armenia must determine its own foreign policy direction. According to him, this is effectively a response to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who had stated that Armenia would move closer to the EU to the extent that the EU is ready for it.

“The European Union is returning this responsibility to Nikol Pashinyan, as it sees that he is shifting it onto the EU,” he said.

In Badalyan’s view, Armenia does not, in fact, intend to join the EU.

“The European Union has absolutely no intention of admitting Armenia, and in general, the issue of membership in the Caucasus direction has not been considered and is not seen as a serious agenda item,” Badalyan stressed, adding that the Armenian authorities are also aware of this.