Visa liberalization: EU to send experts to Armenia for progress reports

A senior EU official said on Wednesday that the visa liberalization dialogue between Armenia and the European Union is an open process and will continue for as long as necessary to ensure the full implementation of the action plan and the successful achievement of all reforms.

Johannes Luchner, the Deputy Director-General at the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, handed over on November 5 the EU-Armenia Visa Liberalization Action Plan to Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan.

Luchner and Sargsyan delivered a joint press conference on this occasion.

“It will last as long as necessary for the reforms to achieve their intended goals. As the minister [Sargsyan] noted, significant reforms will be carried out in various sectors in Armenia, and they should contribute to the successful implementation of the action plan,” Luchner said.

Johannes Luchner said both the EU and Armenia are committed to ensuring that the process is not only fast but also of high quality. The Deputy Director-General at the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission noted that in the next phase, the Armenian authorities will officially respond to the action plan submitted by the EU within the framework of visa liberalization, and the EU will send relevant expert teams to assess the situation on the ground across various areas.

“Our expert teams will travel to Armenia to examine the situation across different areas and prepare progress reports. The program consists of two phases: the first concerns legislative changes and the adoption of legal acts, while the second focuses on their practical implementation,” Luchner emphasized.

He added that the Armenian authorities have already implemented several key reforms at a noticeable pace, particularly in the introduction of the biometric passport system, which has been recognized in the EU as a successful step. “Since the Armenian authorities have worked efficiently and quickly on implementing the biometric passport system, we can already expect its launch at the beginning of next year. The other components concern the legislative level and will be ongoing processes, which we are committed to supporting continuously,” he concluded.