BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 26. European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to the South Caucasus
next week as part of efforts to strengthen the European Union’s
partnerships with the region, Chief Spokesperson of the EC Paula
Pinho said at today's Midday press briefing.
According to her, von der Leyen will first visit Azerbaijan on
Wednesday, July 1, and on Thursday, the EC President will travel to
Armenia.
"The President is travelling to the region to lend Europe's
support towards a durable settlement between both countries," Pinho
said.
She added that peace, connectivity and economic integration will
be at the center of the visit, with particular emphasis on
advancing regional connectivity between Europe, the South Caucasus
and Central Asia.
This will be Ursula von der Leyen’s first visit to
Baku since July 2022, when she traveled to Azerbaijan to secure
additional natural gas supplies for Europe. During that trip, she
signed an energy partnership agreement aimed at doubling
Azerbaijani gas exports to the EU by 2027.
