EU hails visa talks with Armenia as “historic”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Vice President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas believes it is possible to advance quickly in the Armenia-EU visa liberalization process, given the impressive achievements of the Armenian government in terms of commitments and determination, Armenpress reports.

“The goal is to reach the endpoint as soon as possible, but there is no automation in this process. It will be demanding and will require a significant degree of commitment from the Armenian government, alongside our support. However, I am confident that, considering the impressive achievements of the Armenian authorities and their determination, we will move forward quickly, Schinas said during a joint statement with Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan on Monday, September 8.

“Today, we have initiated this process at the political level, and at the technical level, our teams are working together on very specific issues that need to be resolved.”

“It is a very important and historic day, and I am very pleased that Armenian parliament lawmakers and deputy ministers are accompanying us during this significant occasion. We are also delighted that Armenia stands as an anchor of stability and sanity in a very turbulent region. The quality and depth of relations between the European Union and Armenia demonstrate that this country is committed to the ideas of peace and stability in the region. Today's step to initiate the dialogue on visa liberalization should not be seen as an isolated initiative. It should be viewed as another manifestation of the European Union's committed attitude towards Armenia,” Schinas said, emphasizing the official start of the dialogue on visa liberalization.

He emphasized that once the negotiation phase is completed, all Armenian citizens will be able to travel freely to the European Union for short visits.

Referring to other areas of cooperation, Schinas noted that, in collaboration with American partners, a new resilience and growth plan amounting to 270 million euros has been announced for Armenia, in addition to the 600 million euros already invested in the country.

The Vice President of the European Commission considered the civil observation mission in Armenia as tangible evidence of the EU support.

“We are now very pleased that, for the first time in history, Armenia is able to receive support for its armed forces under the Instrument for Peace. All this proves that the country has implemented impressive democratic reforms, which have strengthened its resilience in recent years,” he concluded.