Visa liberalization on the agenda: Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs receives second EU expert mission

As part of the visa liberalization dialogue with the European Union, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia Armen Ghazaryan on Monday received the second EU expert mission, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Foreign Affairs, sectoral experts from EU member states, as well as representatives of the European Commission and the EU Delegation.

Deputy Minister Ghazaryan presented the institutional reforms of the ministry, including the centralization of police functions, the introduction of a new functional model, the transition to civilian governance, the implementation of a new standard for the use of force, and significant changes in other key areas.

The meeting also focused on developing a common strategy for crime prevention and reviewing the provisions of the draft anti-drug strategy.

From April 7 to 11, the EU mission’s experts will carry out a general assessment of Armenia’s preparedness in the areas of public security, foreign relations, and fundamental rights. This assessment will support the development of reforms aligned with European and international standards and establish benchmarks for the prospects of visa liberalization.

Vardan Vardanyan, Deputy Police Chief and Head of the Criminal Police Department, also met with the expert mission members. He presented the formation of the Criminal Police, outlined current tasks, and discussed approaches and tools used in combating crime.

A range of issues was discussed, including the fight against trafficking and cybercrime, the prevention of illicit drug trafficking, and international cooperation.

Karen Hakobyan, Head of the General Department for Community Policing and Deputy Head of the Police, also met with the experts. He spoke about citizen-police communication and highlighted efforts to combat domestic violence, protect minors from crime.

Gnel Simonyan, Acting Head of the Department of Internal Security and Anti-Corruption, presented the department's internal control functions and tools, detailing efforts to ensure employee discipline and legality. The discussion also touched on GRECO recommendations and areas of law enforcement cooperation.

The experts highly praised the ministry’s reform process, emphasizing the measures taken to prevent crime and strengthen public safety.

During their visit, the EU experts will also hold meetings with representatives of other relevant agencies.