European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to travel to Azerbaijan on Wednesday, 1 July, and to Armenia on Thursday, 2 July. The visits take place as Azerbaijan and Armenia implement their historic peace agreement, initialled last year and now laying groundwork for further steps in the peace process. According to the European Commission’s outline of priorities, von der Leyen’s programme focuses on supporting efforts to sustain and build on the peace process.
The trip also aims to strengthen regional connectivity, including links across the South Caucasus as well as connections between the region and Europe and Central Asia. A third priority is deepening economic cooperation between the EU and the South Caucasus countries. Euronews adds that the visit is the first by von der Leyen to the region since the peace agreement was signed, and it frames the trip as an opportunity for the EU to build on its broader strategic engagement with countries in the South Caucasus after their move away from Russia’s sphere of influence. The sources present the visit as part of the EU’s ongoing effort to expand political and economic engagement in the region.
