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EU Commissioner’s Armenia Visit: How the EU Boosts South Caucasus Peace and Development

EU’s Kos visits Armenia, Azerbaijan to boost peace talks and connectivity, meeting officials.

September 18, 2025, 11:40 AM

European Commissioner Marta Kos speaking at a press conference with a serious expression

Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, speaks during a media conference after an EU ministerial meeting in Brussels. By Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com.

Executive Summary

European Union Commissioner Marta Kos is on a two-day visit to Armenia, following a stop in Azerbaijan, to intensify EU engagement in the South Caucasus, focusing on peace negotiations and regional connectivity.

During her visit to Armenia, Commissioner Kos is scheduled to meet with President Vahagn Khachaturyan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and other key officials, and will engage with economic projects and civil society.

This regional tour underscores the EU’s proactive role in fostering dialogue, stability, peace, and economic integration in the South Caucasus amidst complex geopolitical dynamics.

The Story So Far

The European Union is intensifying its engagement in the South Caucasus, with Commissioner Marta Kos visiting both Armenia and Azerbaijan, amidst a critical juncture for ongoing peace negotiations between the two nations. The EU’s strategic aim is to support regional stability, peace, and economic integration by fostering dialogue and promoting its interregional connectivity agenda, which is seen as crucial for regional development and achieving a lasting peace settlement.

Why This Matters

The European Union’s intensified diplomatic and economic engagement in the South Caucasus, evidenced by Commissioner Kos’s simultaneous visits to Armenia and Azerbaijan, underscores a proactive effort to bolster regional stability and advance ongoing peace negotiations. This comprehensive approach, combining high-level talks with economic cooperation and civil society initiatives, aims to foster long-term development and integration while potentially influencing the geopolitical landscape of the region.

Who Thinks What?

European Union Commissioner Marta Kos is intensifying the EU’s engagement in the South Caucasus to promote interregional connectivity, support regional development, stability, peace, and economic integration, and facilitate a lasting peace settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Armenian officials, including President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, are holding high-level meetings with Commissioner Kos to discuss bilateral relations and regional stability, and are participating in economic and civil society initiatives with the EU.

Azerbaijani officials, including President Ilham Aliyev, are engaging in high-level meetings with Commissioner Kos as part of the EU’s comprehensive diplomatic engagement across the South Caucasus.

European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos is undertaking a two-day visit to Armenia from September 19-20, following a prior stop in Azerbaijan, as the EU intensifies its engagement in the South Caucasus. The visit by Commissioner Kos comes at a critical juncture for the ongoing peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, aiming to present the EU’s interregional connectivity agenda as a significant contribution to regional development.

Diplomatic Engagements in Yerevan

During her time in Armenia, Commissioner Kos is scheduled to hold high-level meetings with key government officials. Her itinerary includes discussions with President Vahagn Khachaturyan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.

She will also meet with Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan, underscoring the broad scope of the EU’s engagement. These meetings are expected to focus on bilateral relations and regional stability.

Economic and Civil Society Initiatives

Beyond official government talks, Commissioner Kos will engage with various sectors of Armenian society. She is set to participate in the signing of two projects in collaboration with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), signaling ongoing economic cooperation.

Her visit also includes a tour of the EU4Sevan biodiversity project site and the TUMO Centre of Creative Technologies. In Yerevan, Commissioner Kos will further meet with civil society organisations, women leaders, and Young European Ambassadors, highlighting the EU’s commitment to democratic values and youth engagement.

Broader Regional Tour

The visit to Armenia is part of a wider regional tour that saw Commissioner Kos also travel to Azerbaijan. In Baku, she held meetings with President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, and Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov.

This comprehensive diplomatic engagement across both nations underscores the European Union’s proactive role in fostering dialogue and promoting development in the South Caucasus region amidst complex geopolitical dynamics.

EU’s Strategic Role

Commissioner Kos’s visit reinforces the European Union’s commitment to supporting stability, peace, and economic integration in the South Caucasus. Through diplomatic efforts and concrete project initiatives, the EU aims to facilitate progress on regional connectivity and contribute to a lasting peace settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.