EU to Explore Visa Regime Liberalization Options with Armenia

The European Union is preparing to explore possibilities for liberalizing the visa regime with Armenia. Spokesperson for the EU's foreign policy service, Peter Stano, announced this in an interview with Armenpress.

According to the EU representative, visa regime liberalization is crucial and noticeable for citizens, but requires consensus among all member countries. "During the leaders' meeting in October, the European Union clearly stated that we want to seek ways to further support and deepen our cooperation with Armenia," stated Peter Stano.

He emphasized that successful developments in this regard could bring significant benefits to the people of Armenia. Armenia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paruyr Hovhannisyan, stated that Yerevan considers it possible to start negotiations on visa regime liberalization with the European Union in the coming months.

"No country has objected; it was challenging to achieve consensus among all member countries, but this is a very positive development. We will continue active work with the European Union and its member states to expedite this process as much as possible," said Hovhannisyan at a press conference the day after the meeting of foreign ministers of EU member countries.

Back in 2016, the head of the European Union representation in Armenia declared that Armenia and the EU would soon achieve visa liberalization, as also outlined in the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement signed between Armenia and the European Union in 2017. However, despite these assurances, there has been no substantial progress in visa regime liberalization over the years.

Against the backdrop of deteriorating relations with Russia, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently stated that Armenia is willing to move closer to the European Union as much as the EU deems possible. In Moscow, these statements are interpreted as a clear shift in Yerevan's foreign policy.

During her visit to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, French Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna announced that France is ready to negotiate agreements on supplying military equipment to the Caucasian country. This equipment will be intended to meet Armenia's defense needs.