Azerbaijan’s Foreign Policy
On October 16, 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received the newly appointed French Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Sophie Lagoutte, who presented her credentials to the president.
Ilham Aliyev stated that, following his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Copenhagen, the existing misunderstandings between the two countries had been resolved.
According to his assessment, it is necessary to restore contacts, primarily between people and business representatives, and to strengthen cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian spheres.
Ambassador Sophie Lagoutte emphasized the importance of opening a new chapter in relations between France and Azerbaijan.
Aliyev and Ambassador Sophie Lagoutte’s meeting in Baku on October 16, 2025
On October 20–21, 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid a state visit to Kazakhstan, where he met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Aliyev and Tokayev’s meeting in Astana on October 21, 2025
The discussions focused on bilateral and multilateral cooperation, with both sides underscoring the importance of expanding the partnership across all spheres.
Azerbaijan – Internal Political Issues
New details have surfaced regarding a failed coup attempt in Azerbaijan. Reports indicate that 87-year-old Ramiz Mehdiyev, the former head of the Presidential Administration, allegedly planned it.
Amid rising tensions between Russia and Azerbaijan, Mehdiyev told Moscow that he was prepared to stage a coup and sought Kremlin support for the plan.
Ramiz Mehdiyev
According to reports, the Russian side informed Azerbaijan of the matter during a meeting between the two countries’ presidents in Dushanbe.
Armenia’s Foreign Policy
On October 20, 2025, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan paid an official visit to the Vatican, where he met with Pope Leo XIV.
The discussions focused on regional developments, particularly the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as humanitarian issues of mutual concern.
Prime Minister Pashinyan informed the Pope about Armenia’s commitment to a peace-oriented foreign policy.
Pashinyan and Pope Leo XIV’s meeting in the Vatican
on October 20, 2025
On October 30, during a discussion titled Crossroads of Leadership at the 8th Paris Peace Forum, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was asked whether a potential agreement with Azerbaijan could serve as the first step toward the two countries’ European integration.
In response, Pashinyan stated, “I cannot speak on behalf of Azerbaijan, and it would be wrong to do so. However, we have adopted a law on Armenia’s accession to the European Union. This is clear proof of our aspirations and ambitions. To some extent, it is connected with the European perspective of another country in the region, Georgia. The adoption of this law in Armenia became possible because, a year prior [in December 2023], Georgia received candidate status for EU membership. I cannot say for sure, as this is also a matter of geography, but in Armenia’s case, I believe that Georgia’s European perspective is critical.”
On October 30, 2025, a meeting was held in Paris between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron and Pashinyan’s meeting in Paris on October 30, 2025
During the meeting, the parties discussed regional policy issues, prospects for the TRIPP initiative, Armenia–EU relations, and ways to deepen bilateral cooperation.
The French side once again reaffirmed its support for Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a separate development, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated in an interview with Deutsche Welle on October 17 that Armenia could obtain visa-free travel to the European Union within two years. He described this timeframe as “quite realistic.”
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan
In the interview, Mirzoyan also noted that Russian media might intensify information pressure on Yerevan in the lead-up to Armenia’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for June 2026.
Armenia – Internal Political Issues
On October 20, 2025, Armenian law enforcement officers detained Vardan Ghukasyan, the Mayor of Gyumri. Earlier, clashes had broken out between police and citizens who had gathered near the city hall in support of the mayor, during which several people were detained.
Mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Ghukasyan
In parallel, Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee issued a statement alleging that Ghukasyan and several city hall employees are suspected of accepting bribes.
According to the Committee, large-scale operational and intelligence measures, along with covert investigative actions, revealed that Vardan Ghukasyan and the chief architect of the city administration, acting in prior agreement, demanded and accepted a bribe from a citizen.
Ghukasyan’s supporters have claimed that the accusations are politically motivated. His lawyer, Aramais Hayrapetyan, stated that the Committee’s statement distorts the evidence, and that none of the published secret recordings prove the mayor’s guilt.
Ghukasyan has also received backing from pro-Russian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who is currently imprisoned.
It is noteworthy that Ghukasyan was elected mayor of Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, with a population of around 120,000, in April 2025, following special local elections.
Ghukasyan represents the Communist Party of Armenia, and has publicly expressed support for Armenia’s accession to the Russian-Belarusian “Union State.”
Normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani Relations
On October 21, 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that the construction of the transport corridor through Armenia would be completed by the end of 2028. He noted that the work already underway on Azerbaijan’s territory for this purpose is expected to be finished by mid-2026.
On the same day, Aliyev declared that all restrictions on the movement of goods to Armenia would be lifted. The first such shipment, consisting of Kazakh wheat, will be transported to Armenia via Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who was attending the Silk Road Forum in Tbilisi at the time, thanked President Aliyev for lifting the restrictions on cargo movement. He also stated that Armenia is ready to facilitate the transportation of trucks between Azerbaijan and Turkey along the route Margara-Yeghegnadzor-Sisian-Goris.
Route: Margara–Yeghegnadzor–Sisian–Goris
The first direct flight between Baku and Yerevan took place on October 22, 2025. Representatives of Azerbaijani civil society traveled to the Armenian capital on the flight.
Normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
On October 21, 2025, Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Ruben Rubinyan, who also serves as Armenia’s Special Representative for the normalization of relations with Turkey, announced that an upcoming Armenian-Turkish meeting would focus on launching the Gyumri–Kars railway.