Pashinyan to Attend COP31 Climate Talks in Antalya
Armenia's prime minister plans to join world leaders at the 31st UN Climate Change Conference in Türkiye, following a Turkish invitation.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in International Relations
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan plans to attend the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, he said at a briefing with reporters. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended the invitation during a September meeting in New York.
Why it matters
The planned attendance comes after Erdogan and Pashinyan discussed efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Türkiye during their September meeting. The conference's presence of world leaders offers a setting for continued diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
Pashinyan confirmed his plans during a Thursday briefing, reported by the state-run news agency Armenpress. The leaders' summit is scheduled for Nov. 11-12, within a conference running Nov. 9-20, but the extraction does not confirm final attendance or a set bilateral agenda.
The players
Nikol Pashinyan
Pashinyan is the prime minister of Armenia and has been a central figure in Armenia's efforts to reach a normalization with Türkiye.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Erdogan is the president of Türkiye who has overseen the country's engagement with Armenia as it seeks to repair relations.
The details
Erdogan invited Pashinyan to the summit during their meeting in New York in September, which covered normalizing relations between the two countries. COP31 brings together world leaders, experts and civil society representatives in Antalya.
Timeline
September 2026: Erdogan invites Pashinyan to the summit during a meeting in New York.
Nov. 9-20, 2026: COP31 conference is held in Antalya.
Nov. 11-12, 2026: COP31 leaders' summit is scheduled.
Season Trajectory
The planned attendance continues the stalled effort to normalize Armenia-Türkiye relations first formalized in the 2009 Turkey-Armenia Protocols, which were never ratified. Shared participation at a multilateral climate forum offers a lower-stakes venue for the two governments to keep the dialogue active.
For readers following diplomacy, the planned attendance signals whether the Armenia-Türkiye normalization talks will carry into multilateral settings. The conference will host world leaders, experts and civil society representatives over Nov. 9-20.
The takeaway
Diplomatic contact at multilateral forums can keep bilateral normalization efforts moving when direct negotiations stall. Watching whether Pashinyan and Erdogan hold a meeting in Antalya will show whether the September dialogue is gaining momentum.
What happens next
The COP31 leaders' summit is scheduled for Nov. 11-12, 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye, where Pashinyan's attendance would take place.
Further reading
Explore more coverage in our International Relations section.
