In International Relations it is absolutely clear that the idea that two do not fight if one does not want to is absolute stupidity. If one is attacked, and does not fight, they run over him. Ukraine knows this well and Armenia knows it equally, aware that although this fight lasts for decades it does not always lead to a successful outcome. The heads of government of 49 European states met this Thursday in Brussels and one of the main dishes on the agenda was scheduled to be a closed-door meeting between the Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, and the Azerbaijani Prime Minister, Ilham Aliyev. . But this one, at the last moment, cracked. He did not want to sit down, he did not want criticism, and he did not want to repeat the format of previous times, a table with his neighbor and enemy with pressure from Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and the president of the European Council, Charles Michel.
The absence was a great disappointment, but it allowed the Armenian prime minister to meet with the main community leaders, lobby, make statements of support and some more money. “In these difficult times, the EU and Armenia stand shoulder to shoulder (…) We reiterate our condemnation of Azerbaijan’s military operation against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and reaffirm the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the president of the Commission and Nikol Pashinyan explain in a joint statement, calling for “full respect for the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries, as well as the principles of equality and reciprocity.”
The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, also spoke on the issue after meeting with Pashinyan, announcing an invitation to both parties for a meeting in Brussels later this month to begin talks for a potential peace agreement. Michel, who has traveled to the area several times in recent years, already managed a meeting between the two countries and mandates at the last celebration of the European Political Community, in Moldova. And he hopes to be able to seat them again as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, he, along with Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, issued another statement to apply pressure. “We are committed to further strengthening EU-Armenia relations,” say the community institutions, which have approved another 15 million euros “to address urgent socio-economic needs and support the purchase of food and fuel.”
In their statement, the EU three underlined “their unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of Armenia’s borders” and “agreed on the need to provide additional humanitarian assistance as it faces the consequences of the recent mass displacement of Armenians from Karabakh”.
The key, beyond words, is balance on the board. Russia has lost its role as a regional mediator after the invasion of Ukraine. And Türkiye is not worth it either. Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also absent from the Granada meeting at the last minute, without much explanation. Part of his diplomacy says that it was a punishment to Spain for not having invited its Foreign Minister to the meeting of foreign ministers in Toledo at the end of August. But the main reason is in that area, in the conflict. And in what they consider a veto by France to their role as mediator.
Emmanuel Macron denied it from the Andalusian city, urging all parties to collaborate. And the EU called for “increased regional cooperation and the reopening of all borders, including the Armenia-Turkey border, as well as the opening of regional connectivity links based on full respect for the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries, as well as on the principles of equality and reciprocity”.
