Diplomacy

The Armenian parliamentary elections on 7 June are crucial in more ways than one. A fragile peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is still at stake. While progress has been made since President Trump’s August 2025 meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, where a peace agreement was initialled, much remains uncertain. Key elements of the settlement are yet to be finalised, and the political will required to sustain momentum will depend heavily on the outcome of the vote. The peace agenda is heavily politicised, adding further sensitivity to the process, as conduits for Kremlin policy continue to disseminate fear and uncertainty within Armenian society regarding the ongoing peace process with Azerbaijan. In this week’s Thursday Interview, former Polish diplomat Dr. Andrzej Klimczyk draws on decades of experience across the post-Soviet space to reflect on Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections and the wider dynamics in the South Caucasus. He argues that while the European Union has the potential to play a stronger geopolitical role in the region, its approach remains too bureaucratic and insufficiently attuned to local realities. Klimczyk also outlines his proposal for a “South Caucasus Euroregion” as a long-term framework for cooperation between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, aimed at unlocking the region’s economic and geopolitical potential. On Armenia’s June 2026 elections, he highlights a highly polarised political environment, with competition focused more on personalities than programmes and a fragmented opposition. He also warns of growing risks of disinformation and hybrid interference, cautioning that the main challenge may be the erosion of trust in the information environment rather than the integrity of the vote itself. (Click the image to read the full interview.)

The Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan has visited Armenia on Wednesday 29 April to participate in the the 13th meeting of the Commission on Demarcation and Border Security between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the State Commission on Demarcation of the State Border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which was held in Aghveren. The Commission meeting was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan and Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev. A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, noted with satisfaction that the 13th meeting of the commissions is once again taking place in the territory of one of the parties, in Aghveran, in the Republic of Armenia. "During the meeting, the parties exchanged detailed thoughts on organizational and technical issues related to border demarcation measures. The parties agreed and exchanged the texts of the following draft guidelines on the procedure for carrying out demarcation work:". Click the image to read the full report.