Armenia's progress toward visa liberalization is impressive, says Ursula von der Leyen

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has commented on the European Union's visa liberalization process for Armenia, emphasizing that the country is working diligently and has made significant progress.

Von der Leyen addressed the issue during a joint press conference with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan, responding to a question about the possible timeline for achieving visa-free travel with the European Union.

"Armenia is the only partner currently engaged in an active visa liberalization dialogue with the European Union. This in itself demonstrates the level of our partnership. In April, we published the Visa Liberalization Action Plan progress report. We know that you are committed to this agenda, and we thank you for that. It is very impressive to see the progress that has been made, and I know how important this is for Armenia. New assessment missions will follow, including one this autumn, to evaluate progress and the processes related to the remaining benchmarks," von der Leyen said.

She added that visa liberalization is a process that can be completed once the required reforms have been implemented.

"You are on the right track. I know you are working very hard on this. Once all the necessary requirements have been met, we can move to a visa-free regime. Some reforms are still needed, but once they are completed, you will cross the finish line," the President of the European Commission said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recalled that during the election campaign he had stated that the Armenian government aims to complete the process within two years. He expressed hope that Armenia would have a visa-free regime with the European Union by 2029.

"Much depends on us, and in many cases the questions should not be directed to the European Union but to ourselves - how prepared we are and how effectively we implement the reform agenda. One thing is clear: the people of Armenia are waiting for this decision, and they voted in favor of it in the elections. Of course, we cannot afford to miss this opportunity, and I hope we will act quickly and effectively to achieve this goal within the planned timeframe," Pashinyan said.