European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to visit Armenia and Azerbaijan next week, where she plans to strengthen the European Union’s (EU) position in the region and counter Russian influence, Politico reports, citing European officials.

The visit will be focused on strengthening trade and other ties, as well as helping to counter Moscow’s efforts to maintain influence in the two former Soviet republics, Politico wrote, citing one of its sources.

According to Politico, von der Leyen will be accompanied by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Koss, who is currently actively lobbying for Ukraine and Moldova to join the EU.

In Armenia, the European Commission chief will meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and in Azerbaijan, with President Ilham Aliyev.

At a press briefing in Brussels on Wednesday, European Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho did not confirm von der Leyen’s plans, but promised to announce her work schedule for the coming week on Friday.

As Politico notes, Brussels views the South Caucasus as a strategically important transport corridor between Europe and Asia, whose importance has grown amid the conflict in the Middle East, and Azerbaijan remains one of the EU’s key energy suppliers.

According to media reports, a special EU civil team has even been created in Brussels, which aims to help Armenia diversify its trade ties with Europe and reduce its dependence on Russia.

During the visit, Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce some new EU initiatives in the region, but their content has not yet been officially revealed.