German FM Baerbock stops in Yerevan ahead of COP29

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made a brief but significant stopover in Yerevan on Tuesday en route to Baku for the COP29 climate summit, where climate change and regional security issues took center stage.

Baerbock’s visit focused on Armenia’s relations with Germany and the European Union, as well as ongoing efforts to resolve tensions with Azerbaijan. During her meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Baerbock emphasized the importance of peace in the region.

“Thank you very much for this visit,” Mirzoyan said in his opening remarks.
“For me, this is not a visit but a stopover at a friend’s place,” Baerbock replied. “It was very important for me to stop by.”

Highlighting the intersection of environmental and security concerns, Baerbock added, “We know not only that the climate crisis is a threat to security and peace. But we know also these days how important it is to ensure peace.” She also expressed her eagerness to hear about the latest developments in Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks.

Mirzoyan briefed Baerbock on Armenia’s ongoing efforts to finalize a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, stressing the urgency of signing it soon. Despite efforts, talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan have stalled. Yerevan had proposed intensive talks between the foreign ministers ahead of COP29 to finalize the agreement, but no such meetings took place.

Baku’s insistence on constitutional changes in Armenia, particularly to address territorial claims, remains a major sticking point. Elchin Amirbayov, a senior aide to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, reiterated this condition, stating, “Even if the parties manage to agree on the text of the peace treaty, Armenia’s legal and constitutional framework must be brought into line with it so that the treaty can be implemented not only under the current but also under future [Armenian] governments.”

As the COP29 summit gets underway in Baku, the unresolved tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to cast a shadow over regional security.