On December 11, a high-level meeting took place in Yerevan as part of the operational phase of the Armenia-EU visa liberalization dialogue. The discussions were led by Armenia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Arpine Sargsyan, and the European Commission’s Deputy Director-General for Migration and Home Affairs, Johannes Luchner, according to the press service of Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
During the meeting, the participants explored critical areas essential for advancing the visa liberalization process. These included reforms in document security, border and migration management, mobility and asylum, combating corruption and organized crime, and protecting fundamental human rights. Discussions also covered the EU’s ongoing support for implementing these reforms.
Both parties confirmed the substantive nature of the process, emphasizing that there is no mechanical deadline for its conclusion. The officials agreed that the next steps in the visa liberalization dialogue would involve two official missions in 2025. These missions will bring EU experts to conduct an analysis of existing challenges, paving the way for further progress.
The results of these missions will contribute to defining a benchmark list necessary for achieving visa liberalization for Armenian citizens in the long term.
Minister Sargsyan underlined that Armenia views the action plan for visa liberalization as a strategic roadmap for advancing migration, mobility, and public security policies.
Johannes Luchner expressed gratitude for the warm reception and reiterated the EU’s commitment to intensive collaboration in this regard.
