EU-Armenia partnership is at its best moment, says European Commission Vice-President

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Vice-President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas has described the launch of the visa liberalization dialogue with Armenia as an ‘important landmark’ in the Armenia-EU relationship.

Vice-President Schinas visited Armenia on September 9 to launch the visa liberalization dialogue between Armenia and the EU. 

In an interview with Armenpress, the European Commission Vice-President said that the process is not an isolated initiative but a part of a broader set of initiatives that the EU is developing to support Armenia.

Vice-President Schinas said that the EU-Armenia partnership is 'at its best moment' and lauded the relationship for its 'quality and depth'.

The interview was conducted on September 9, 2024. 

• Mr. Schinas, how would you summarize the outcomes of your meetings in Armenia?

I was delighted to be able to meet the political leadership of Armenia, the President, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and most importantly, to launch together with Deputy Prime Minister Grigorian the visa liberalization process at the political level. This is an important landmark in the relationship between the EU and Armenia, but it's not an isolated initiative, it's part of a broader set of initiatives that we are developing to support Armenia in terms of investment in the economy with a new growth and resilience plan together with the United States in the order of 270 million euros on the EU side, but also support this country for peace and security. We have an important EU mission to Armenia to support on border management. We also have support of the Armenian Armed Forces through the European Peace Facility. But of course, the cherry on the top of the cake is the visa liberalization process which we're starting today. I think this is a day that will be remembered as the first day of a process that would, I hope soon, lead to all Armenians being able to travel freely to Europe for short stay visits without the need for a visa. 

• Were those meetings fruitful in your opinion? 

Yes, I think they were very fruitful because the political timing of this visit is very appropriate. We had a Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers on the 22nd of July that triggered all these new success stories, and I think I'm always of the view that in politics you have to strike the iron when it's still hot. So I'm coming here to mark the importance of these successes. Again, visa liberalization and of course the new support for the Armenian Armed Forces through the European Peace Facility.  These are important landmarks that also underpin an important dimension that Armenia is now emerging as a source of stability and reason in a very turbulent geopolitically region. And we will be standing shoulder to shoulder with Armenia to help them continue to deliver.

• As you mentioned, the main purpose of your visit to Armenia was the launching or starting the visa liberalization dialogue. Could you please explain what this means in general and what will it give to the Armenian citizens? 

Yes, I think you are very right in asking this question because we are now at the first stage of a process that ultimately, again I hope soon, will lead to visa-free travel to the European Union for all Armenians. Why are we having this moment? Because last July our Member States authorized the Commission to start this process. This was not given, it was not evident, but it happened. So the green light is now on.  So we are now entering a phase of implementation of this process that will need to address some specific issues like the security of travel documents, issues of corruption, fight against organized crime, rule of law.  So we need to make sure that everything around visa-free travel is safe and secure. We will engage now at a technical level to sort out these issues and at the end of this process we will go back to our Member States for the final agreement. So it's not the end of the road, but there will never be an end of the road unless we have the beginning, which was today. 

• What other initiatives is the EU preparing to support Armenia's security and other fields to develop the country's resilience? 

Yes, I think that there is no doubt now that the EU-Armenia partnership is at its best moment. I think there is quality and depth in this partnership, which is becoming evident both here and in Brussels. There are three pillars that underpin this partnership. Investments, peace and security and people-to-people contact. These three need to go together. There will never be economy and investment without security and peace, and there is no need to have people-to-people contacts when you don't have an economy and security guaranteed. So our ambition is to develop all these three pillars together. That's why all our specific initiatives and these success stories I was describing earlier address all three of them. So it's like a symbiotic relationship that would also testify that we are doing all this for Armenia because Armenia won the right to be supported with a responsible stance and an unwavering commitment to reform and stability. 

• Are there any plans for another high-level visit from Brussels to Yerevan?  

I think a few months ago my colleague, Vice President Valdis Dobrovskis, was here. I am here now in the beginning of September. You don't get two European Commission Vice Presidents to a third country in such a short term, so that shows something. I think it would be reasonable to expect that at the end of the year, when we have the new political cycle that will open in Brussels certainly the people who will succeed us will come to take forward this positive agenda. 

• Mr. Vice-President, do you have anything to add? 

Yes, I told the country's leaders that although this is my first visit to Armenia, I feel very comfortable here. I grew up in Thessaloniki, Greece, which is the center of a thriving Greek-Armenian community.  I had Greek-Armenians at school, in basketball. I went to their family lunches and dinners, I followed their ceremonies, I listened to their language. I know of the richness of your nation's culture. In a way, my presence here brings them all with me. I feel very emotional on a personal level and very comfortable here.