Canada is set to become the first non-European country to attend a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) as Prime Minister Mark Carney joins Monday's summit of over 48 nations in Yerevan, Armenia. Carney has emphasized his commitment to building a new network of trade and diplomatic alliances following the loss of US markets under Donald Trump. His presence also signals Western support for Armenia's efforts to distance itself from Russia amid Washington's ambiguous stance toward Moscow's opponents, such as Ukraine. Canadian diplomats have dismissed suggestions that Ottawa might seek EU membership.
Key Topics at the Summit
Trump's plan to withdraw more than 5,000 troops from Germany over the next year and the economic impact of a prolonged US-Iran conflict on Western economies are among the main subjects of discussion in Yerevan. Armenia shares a border with Iran but, unlike neighboring Azerbaijan, has not alleged that Iranian missiles have landed on its territory.
Armenia's European Aspirations
Yerevan was chosen to host the EPC, an institution championed by French President Emmanuel Macron and which also includes the UK, to give Armenia a chance to showcase its strengthening ties with Europe and continue its slow decoupling from Russia, its former backer. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has pursued a policy of diversification that is gradually drawing his country into the European orbit. His Civil Contract party faces parliamentary elections in June and seeks a decisive win to continue peace efforts with Azerbaijan. Pashinyan faces three opposition parties that are more sympathetic to Russia.
Thomas de Waal, a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe specializing in the Caucasus region, noted: “European leaders will have to walk a fine line in Yerevan. As they hold what looks like a pre-election rally for Pashinyan, they must also have a bigger conversation about building a more robust and less polarized Armenia. The country itself deserves full European attention. It is on the verge of a painful but transformative peace agreement with Baku that will lead to the reopening of its two long borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey, closed since the 1990s. The country also has a historic opportunity to loosen its overdependence on Moscow as the war in Ukraine continues to distract and drain Russia.”
EU-Armenia Relations
Following the EPC summit, Yerevan hopes that the first bilateral summit between Armenia and the EU on Tuesday will result in additional funding to promote democracy and visa liberalization. When EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos visited the country in March, she declared that “Armenia and the EU have never been closer.” Armenia, a nation of 3 million people, signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with the EU in 2017. Last year, it adopted a law formally declaring its intention to apply for EU membership, taking the country in a very different political direction from neighboring Georgia.
Armenia is a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union and the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), although it froze its CSTO membership in 2024. In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Pashinyan that Armenia could not be a member of both the EU and CSTO, stating, “It’s simply impossible by definition.”
Macron's Role
Macron has been the foremost champion of closer European-Armenian ties, and his attendance at the Yerevan summit is being accorded state-visit-level importance. He is also expected to attend a concert in Gyumri, Armenia's second-largest city.
The European Political Community
The EPC, established in 2022, brings together full EU members and a large constellation of non-EU countries, including the UK, Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Serbia, and other Baltic nations. The group has no formal secretariat and often avoids lengthy communiques in favor of bilateral leader-to-leader discussions. Initially met with skepticism, some feared it was a sop for countries waiting years for EU membership applications to progress. However, the continued willingness of European leaders to attend suggests the gatherings serve a purpose.
With Trump's support, Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed a peace agreement in Washington last August. The Azerbaijani side has said it would fully sign the peace agreement once Armenia changes its constitution, claiming it contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan, which Armenian authorities have repeatedly denied.
