Monday, 9 September 2024
EU and Armenia Launch Visa Liberalisation Dialogue
Today, in Yerevan, the European Commission and the Republic of Armenia announced the start of a visa liberalisation dialogue. This process aims to support Armenia in achieving a visa-free regime for short-stays with the EU, provided that the relevant conditions for well-managed mobility and security are put in place.
The visa dialogue is part of the broader framework of EU-Armenia relations, which has seen significant progress since the signing of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2017. The dialogue will sustain ongoing efforts to support Armenia’s comprehensive reform agenda, particularly in areas which are crucial for future visa-free travel to the EU, such as document security, border and migration management, the fight against corruption and organised crime as well as upholding fundamental rights.
The dialogue builds on the successful implementation of the EU-Armenia Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements, which have simplified travel procedures for many Armenian citizens since 1 January 2014. Currently, all EU citizens are exempt from visa requirement when entering Armenia.
Next steps
The European Commission and the Government of Armenia will work closely to ensure that the dialogue is conducted efficiently and effectively. The process is merit-based, it will last as long as it is necessary and there will be no automatic transition to visa-free travel. All benchmarks must be fully met before the final decision on visa liberalisation is taken by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament. The process will require close cooperation with EU Member States to monitor progress and developments rigorously.
Background
The launch of the visa liberalisation dialogue follows several initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation with Armenia, in line with the mandate of the European Council of October 2023 tasked to theHigh Representative and the European Commission to present options to strengthen EU-Armenia relations. This step is also considered in the Joint Declaration of the sixth Eastern Partnership Summit in December 2021.
In April 2024 the European Commission put forward a EUR 270 million Resilience and Growth Plan for Armenia for the period 2024-2027. The Plan will aim at building up Armenia's socio-economic resilience.
The Visa Facilitation Agreement, which entered into force on 1 January 2014, reduces visa fees for Armenian citizens and waives fees for certain categories of applicants.
On 22 July 2024, the Foreign Affairs Council welcomed “the intention of the Commission to launch a visa liberalisation dialogue with Armenia”.
For More Information
Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Armenia on the facilitation of the issuance of visas
Eastern Partnership summit – joint declaration - Consilium (europa.eu)
Collaboration with countries - European Commission (europa.eu)
Quotes
"The launch of the visa liberalisation dialogue is a clear demonstration of our commitment to enhancing mobility and cooperation with Armenia" said Margaritis Schinas, European Commission Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life. "It represents a step forward in our shared objective of bringing the people of Armenia and the EU closer together and a recognition of Armenia’s efforts in strengthening its ties and shared values with the EU ".
Vice-President Margaritis Schinas
"Armenia highly values the commitment of the European Union and its Member States to fostering closer ties between our societies and citizens. The launch of the EU visa liberalisation dialogue is an important decision, underpinned by the democratic reforms initiated by the Republic of Armenia. We view this process as a strategic agenda for further modernisation of migration, mobility, and border management fields and we acknowledge the necessity for continued and focused efforts to achieve this objective”.
Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan
