Armenia’s FM Invites Aliyev and Erdogan to Yerevan for 2026 European Political Community Summit

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced that Armenia has invited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend the European Political Community summit, which will be held in May 2026 in Yerevan.

Mirzoyan said the invitation was extended verbally and that the official documents will be sent later. “We have extended the invitations; the documents have not yet been sent, but we have verbally invited [them] to participate at the highest level,” he told reporters. When asked about the likelihood of their attendance, Mirzoyan said that it was too early to know, as “all of this is very fresh.”

The announcement came during parliamentary debates on Armenia’s 2026 state budget, where the foreign minister outlined the government’s foreign policy priorities, ongoing negotiations with neighboring countries, and progress toward regional unblocking and normalization.

Mirzoyan noted that Armenia continues to maintain what he called “a very intensive dialogue” with Turkey. “Our plans for 2026 and the work carried out are not limited to normalizing relations or institutionalizing the established peace with Azerbaijan — they go beyond that,” he said. According to the minister, the dialogue with Turkey involves contacts “starting from the highest level — Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Erdogan — and continuing with our permanent representatives, foreign ministers, and other agencies.”

He described these talks as positive and expressed optimism about reaching “very tangible results” in the near future.

Speaking about peace with Azerbaijan, Mirzoyan called the declaration and interstate normalization treaty signed on August 8 in Washington “a turning point.” The document, signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, includes major infrastructure plans aimed at unblocking Armenia after more than 30 years of isolation.

The minister said that this includes transportation links, railways, power lines, and even gas or oil pipelines. These will operate under Armenia’s jurisdiction and based on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and reciprocity.

As part of the agreement, Armenia and the United States will also jointly establish the “Trump Route,” a project to be managed by an Armenian-American company. The firm will be responsible for building and operating the new connection and related infrastructure.

Mirzoyan admitted that some serious issues remain unresolved, including the release of Armenian captives held in Baku and the clarification of missing persons’ fates. “This remains a significant obstacle — a natural and objective consequence — which still requires further efforts to overcome,” he said.

He added that mutual distrust between the two societies continues to be a challenge but emphasized that Armenia will continue “step by step” toward building a peaceful and cooperative regional environment.

Mirzoyan confirmed that border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan will continue in line with the Alma-Ata Declaration, as stipulated in the ratified regulation. He said that the peace treaty clearly reaffirms these principles and that the process is being co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.

Addressing public concerns about how peace can be guaranteed, Mirzoyan argued that the sustainability of the agreements depends not on foreign guarantees but on mutual benefit. “All the agreements that we have reached and signed, I consider mutually beneficial,” he said. “It is precisely this mutual benefit that will ensure their realization and durability.”

The foreign minister also commented on Armenia’s ties with its other neighbors. He said relations with Georgia are developing “very naturally and dynamically.” As for Iran, Mirzoyan dismissed rumors that Tehran is unhappy with the regional unblocking plans. “We have excellent relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he stated. “We are almost in daily contact. The manipulations claiming that Iran is dissatisfied do not correspond to reality.”

Mirzoyan added that Armenia and Iran have agreed to formalize their partnership in a strategic document and are planning to build a second bridge between the two countries as a sign of strengthened cooperation.

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