On the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan – Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov – held a meeting. This was the first encounter between the diplomats since the August summit in Washington, where the prospects of signing a peace treaty were discussed.

The parties reaffirmed their readiness to continue dialogue, focusing on steps that could bring closer the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement. Although no concrete arrangements were announced, experts view the very fact of the meeting as a signal that diplomatic channels between Baku and Yerevan remain open.

At the same time, the European Union is taking an active role in the process. During her visits to Azerbaijan and Armenia, EU Commissioner Marta Kos stated that Brussels intends to support normalization not only politically, but also materially. The EU is prepared to finance infrastructure projects under the Global Gateway initiative, promote the opening of regional trade routes, and allocate up to €23 million for humanitarian demining of affected territories.

In Armenia, the EU is launching a new format of “High-Level Policy Dialogue” to monitor reform progress and is providing €202.5 million under the “Resilience and Growth Plan”. In parallel, a high-level working group on economic cooperation is being established in Azerbaijan to accelerate investment projects.

Analysts note that Brussels seeks to consolidate its role as a key mediator in the region by offering not only diplomatic facilitation but also tangible economic incentives. This approach is intended to ease tensions and give the normalization process a practical dimension.

At the same time, serious challenges remain: deep mutual distrust, security concerns, as well as the influence of external actors – primarily Russia and Turkey. The coming months will show whether Yerevan and Baku, with EU support, can turn cautious diplomatic contacts into a concrete peace document.

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26.09.2025 05:38