Between Gas and a New Europe: Why Azerbaijan and Slovakia Are Unexpectedly Growing Closer

Britain announced on May 11 a new package of sanctions against Russia, describing the measures as among the harshest introduced since the start of the war in Ukraine. London said the sanctions were a response to what it called Moscow’s “hostile activities,” including alleged attempts to interfere in upcoming elections in Armenia, as well as the deportation and ideological indoctrination of Ukrainian children.

In the corridors of Brussels institutions, words that only a year ago seemed almost politically taboo are beginning to reappear: negotiations with Russia, the future architecture of European security, and the possibility — however distant for now — of a gradual return to dialogue with the Kremlin.

On May 5, within the framework of the “Yerevan Dialogue” forum, a meeting of special representatives on the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey took place. Armenia’s Vice Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan and Ambassador Serdar Kılıç discussed the current state of normalization and the outcomes of the joint working group meeting on the restoration of the Gyumri–Kars railway.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on May 4 after talks in Baku that they intend to deepen their strategic partnership, focusing on energy, investment, and security amid the ongoing reshaping of Europe’s energy architecture.