German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made a brief stop in Yerevan late Tuesday on her way to Baku for the COP29 climate summit.
During her visit, Baerbock held talks with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan to discuss bilateral relations between Armenia and Germany, Armenia’s ties with the European Union, and efforts to resolve the conflict with Azerbaijan.
Mirzoyan welcomed Baerbock’s visit, saying, “Thank you very much for this visit,” to which Baerbock replied, “For me, this is not just a visit, but a stopover at a friend’s place. It was very important for me to stop by.”
Baerbock also acknowledged the broader global context, stating, “We know that the climate crisis is a threat to security and peace. But we also understand how crucial it is to ensure peace today.” She added that she was eager to hear updates on the ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks.
Following the meeting, the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported that Mirzoyan had briefed Baerbock on efforts to finalize the draft Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty, emphasizing the need to sign it soon.
Yerevan had reportedly suggested a two-day intensive meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers to resolve their differences and finalize the treaty before the COP29 summit, which began on November 11. However, such talks did not take place.
Baku has conditioned any peace agreement on a revision of Armenia’s constitution, which it claims contains territorial assertions regarding Azerbaijan. This precondition was reiterated in a Wednesday interview with a senior aide to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
“Even if the parties manage to agree on the text of the peace treaty, Armenia’s legal and constitutional framework must be adjusted accordingly, so the treaty can be implemented not only under the current but also future Armenian governments,” said Elchin Amirbayov.
Recently, Armenian officials, including Mirzoyan, have expressed concerns about the possibility of an Azerbaijani invasion of Armenia following the UN climate summit.
