Azerbaijan's President Declines EU Talks with Armenia PM, Sparking Tensions

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has declined to attend a European meeting in Spain with Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan due to European support for Yerevan. The talks were scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the European summit, under the mediation of France, Germany, and the European Council. Aliyev's decision was influenced by pro-Armenian statements by French officials, accusations made by EU Council President Charles Michel, and an "anti-Azerbaijani atmosphere." Pashinyan will still attend the summit and expressed disappointment that the meeting could not take place, as they had hoped to sign a "turning point document" on the contested Karabakh region.