EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration visits Armenia

EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, has arrived in Armenia on a visit.

On Thursday, Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan held a meeting with the European Commissioner.

Sargsyan noted that this is the first visit of an EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration to Armenia, highlighting the importance of assessing bilateral cooperation and the progress achieved, according to a ministry readout.

As the lead negotiator on behalf of Armenia in the EU visa liberalization process, the Minister assured that the Armenian government is fully committed to implementing the Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP) in its entirety, in full alignment with the government’s sectoral reform agenda. She noted that several areas covered by the plan—such as migration and border management, as well as law enforcement and justice reforms—are already at various stages of implementation.

It was also emphasized that, since the start of the dialogue, Armenia has received the Action Plan in an impressively short timeframe compared to comparable countries. This was immediately followed by the coordination of competent authorities under the Ministry of Internal Affairs to consolidate efforts and achieve targeted, timely results.

Commissioner Brunner highly praised these efforts to facilitate the mobility of Armenian citizens to EU countries and noted that the firm commitment and resources invested in this direction are already noticeable and appreciated. He expressed confidence that Armenia’s readiness to achieve high-quality, targeted, and timely results will lead to the expected final outcome.

Minister Sargsyan assured that Armenia values the EU’s efforts to manage migration flows and attaches special importance to reducing illegal flows from Armenia to EU countries, as well as promoting conscious and responsible migration behavior.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Sargsyan expressed gratitude to the EU for its continued support and for engaging in an active negotiation process solely with Armenia. She also emphasized Armenia’s readiness to continue high-quality practical cooperation.