EU Pushes into Russia's Backyard: Leaders from Dozens of European Countries Gather in Armenia for the European Political Community Summit

Central Asian nation Armenia became a stage for rebuilding friendly relations among European countries amid today’s turbulent international landscape on May 4. Leaders or representatives from dozens of European nations will attend the 8th European Political Community Summit in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, over the next two days. The geographical location of the host country, as well as Canada’s invitation to attend—despite being located in North America—endows this summit with extraordinary significance.

The European Political Community, launched in 2022, serves as a platform for dialogue that requires no formal accession procedures to participate. Its scope extends far beyond the European Union. The inaugural summit held in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2022 saw attendance by leaders from 17 additional European countries besides the EU’s 27 member states, making it formally a pan-European dialogue platform.

The European Political Community was established against the backdrop of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. Strengthening unity across Europe around “core European values” and jointly confronting the Russian threat are its implicit central objectives. From this perspective, hosting this summit in Armenia underscores exactly this characteristic.

Armenia, located in Central Asia, was once a Soviet republic. After regaining independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the country maintained close ties with Russia. However, frequent border clashes with neighboring Azerbaijan over territorial disputes in recent years have led Armenia to question the effectiveness of Russia’s protective umbrella, prompting efforts to reduce dependence on Russia. The first-ever EU-Armenia Summit scheduled after this European Political Community Summit will concretely reflect Armenia’s further alignment toward Europe.

This edition of the European Political Community Summit also marks the first time Canada—non-European in geography—has been invited to send its Prime Minister. This undoubtedly adds another dimension to the summit beyond countering Russian threats: preparing for potential disruptions to the traditional transatlantic alliance under a possible second Trump presidency. A report from Agence France-Presse (AFP) dated May 4, based in Yerevan, cited an unnamed European official who said the European Political Community was originally seen as an anti-Putin club. With Canada now invited, the platform—once geographically confined—now carries a distinct anti-Trump hue.

Given the current volatile international situation, the summit will address numerous topics, including the ongoing Middle East crisis, which has persisted for over two months. For landlocked Armenia, the impact of this conflict goes far beyond disrupted energy supply chains. Tensions with eastern neighbor Azerbaijan have escalated due to territorial disputes, while strained relations with western neighbor Turkey stem from historical disagreements surrounding the Armenian genocide. Thus, Armenia’s only viable exit routes out of isolation lie through its northern neighbor Georgia and southern neighbor Iran.

Currently confirmed attendees include French President Emmanuel Macron, who will personally attend the summit and simultaneously conduct a state visit to Armenia. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council António Costa, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will all attend the summit.

Source: rfi

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864273909366986/

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