Hasty visit to Germany - what did Pashinyan lose from Merz?

The Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia has announced that Nikol Pashinyan will be paying an official visit to Germany today and tomorrow. The program includes meetings with representatives of the business community as well as official negotiations with the Chancellor and the President of Germany.

It is noteworthy that this previously unannounced visit comes only a few days after the phone conversation between Chancellor Merz and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

The mention of upcoming meetings with German businesses provides additional context. It appears likely that Yerevan will seek economic projects and investment opportunities, possibly including funding for the Armenian section of the TRIPP corridor — a project that Armenia has long needed to begin but has struggled to finance on its own.

A natural question arises: why were such efforts not undertaken earlier? The answer seems clear. Until Azerbaijan initiated significant regional developments and economic opportunities, Armenia had limited realistic prospects in this area. The changing geopolitical landscape — largely influenced by steps taken by President Ilham Aliyev — has opened new economic avenues for Yerevan.

In this light, it would not be surprising if, during the meetings in Berlin, both Chancellor Merz and Prime Minister Pashinyan acknowledge Azerbaijan’s constructive role in shaping new regional economic realities.