Ilham Aliyev Announces No Plans to Attend 2026 EPC Summit in Armenia

President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has no plans to attend the European Political Community (EPC) summit set to be held in Armenia in May 2026, The Caspian Post reports citing Caliber.az.

"The present level of bilateral relations does not make a high-level visit by President Aliyev to Yerevan a practical option at this stage. Azerbaijan follows a principle of concrete actions. A visit by a president without a signed agreement or the establishment of practical mechanisms could create a misleading impression of a concluded process. Until the legal foundation is formalized and commitments begin to be implemented, such steps would be premature," the media outlet says.

Caliber.Az notes that the prospect of high-level visits in the future is not excluded.

"On the contrary, once the peace agreement is signed and its provisions are put into effect, such visits will become a natural progression of the reconciliation process. For now, the priority remains the practical fulfillment of previously agreed commitments, ensuring that peace is secured both de facto and de jure," Caliber.Az says.

On October 27, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated that Armenia's authorities had invited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to take part in the EPC summit planned for May 2026 in Yerevan. Mirzoyan clarified that the corresponding invitation is currently "being formalized."