European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen visited Armenia on Thursday (2 July) in an effort to facilitate Brussels’ influence and trade on the region.
Von der Leyen made a return appearance in Yerevan in a show of support of the recently re-elected leader Nikol Pashinyan who’s Civil Contract party has been guiding the nation away from historic Russian influence in a Westward pivot.
The presence of EU commissioner for enlargement Marta Kos at the meeting was also a sign that EU candidacy status could be on the table.
“Armenia has made a sovereign choice. And for this you are facing significant economic pressure from Russia,” said von der Leyen said on social media.
Her trip to the South Caucasus included a stop in Azerbaijan on Wednesday (1 July), where she sought to strengthen efforts of facilitating peace with Armenia over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region, so as to champion a trade corridor that would bring the region closer to Europe.
