EU Commission Initiates Visa Liberalisation Talks with Armenia

The EU Commission is set to begin visa liberalisation talks with Armenia, a move acknowledged by the Foreign Affairs Council. These discussions aim to support Armenia's long-term goal of achieving visa-free travel within the EU, enhancing people-to-people connections.

According to the Commission, the dialogue will address various areas, initiating reforms in travel document security, migration and asylum policies, border management, and fundamental rights in Armenia, among other sectors. This process will be guided by the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP), which will soon be presented to Armenian authorities.

"Visa liberalisation is not an automatic process. It will be considered only once the dialogue is successfully completed and all the conditions listed in the VLAP are met," stated the EU Commission.

The commencement of these talks follows numerous initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation with Armenia. Nonetheless, Armenia must meet several requirements before its citizens can enjoy visa-free travel to the EU.

The Council of the EU has welcomed the Commission's move to launch visa liberalisation talks with Armenia but stressed that the lifting of visa requirements will only be considered once Armenia fulfills all the benchmarks set by the EU.

"The possibility of lifting the visa obligations for Armenian citizens will only be considered upon the complete fulfilment of the benchmarks," emphasized the EU Council.

Upon successful completion of the visa liberalisation dialogue, Armenian citizens will no longer need to obtain a Schengen visa to enter the Schengen Area. They will be eligible for visa-free stays of up to 90 days within any 190-day period. However, Armenians who wish to stay in the EU longer than this period will still need to apply for a long-term Schengen visa.

Until the visa requirements are lifted, Armenians must continue to obtain Schengen visas. Currently, Armenian citizens benefit from some visa facilitations, including a reduced Schengen visa fee of €35, compared to the standard €90 fee for nationals of other countries.

By fLEXI tEAM