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The latest meeting of the Armenian task force established to ensure the effective implementation of the commitments and sectoral processes required under the EU Visa Liberalization Action Plan was held on August 12.
The group is headed by Armen Ghazaryan, Acting Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.
The meeting was attended by Anna Karapetyan, Acting Deputy Minister of Justice; Edgar Mkrtchyan, Acting Deputy Minister of Finance; representatives of relevant government agencies; and experts, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a press release.
The discussion focused on the implementation of recommendations concerning public order and security, external relations, and fundamental rights contained in the European Commission’s first report assessing progress in the implementation of the Visa Liberalization Action Plan.
Ghazaryan noted that the proper implementation of the Action Plan by Armenia continues under the coordination of Minister Arpine Sargsyan, Armenia’s chief negotiator in the EU visa liberalization process, and that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is committed to ensuring the full implementation of the benchmarks.
It was noted that 41 of the 72 actions stemming from recommendations under the third and fourth areas have already been completed, while work on 31 actions is ongoing.
Under the coordination of the Minister of Internal Affairs, the main focus of work on implementing the Action Plan is the establishment of the legislative and strategic framework.
Two EU assessment missions to Armenia are planned by the end of the year. In October, progress under the first and second areas of the Action Plan will be assessed, while in December, progress under the third and fourth areas will be assessed.
Speaking about the work completed, representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs addressed the Crime Prevention Strategy and the development of an Action Plan stemming from it. It was noted that draft documents have been prepared, and work is underway to further revise them and adopt the strategy by the end of the year.
The meeting also addressed the actions set out under the third and fourth areas of the draft “Armenian Government Action Plan for the Implementation of the EU Visa Liberalization Action Plan.”
The officials presented their observations and proposals, clarifying the priorities for further work and the steps to be taken within the framework of interagency cooperation.