The EU’s second assessment mission on the implementation of the visa liberalisation action plan is in Armenia

As part of the Armenia–EU visa liberalisation dialogue, the EU’s second assessment mission on the implementation of the Action Plan is visiting Armenia. On October 6, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Armen Ghazaryan met with representatives of the mission.

Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the EU Delegation, EU institutions, including Frontex, sectoral experts from EU member states, and representatives of partner agencies attended the meeting.

Armen Ghazaryan noted that, under the coordination of Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan, Armenia’s chief negotiator on visa liberalisation with the EU, the Ministry of Internal Affairs continues to advance implementation of the Action Plan in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders across the government.

Ghazaryan presented the work being carried out by Armenia as part of the visa liberalisation process, emphasising that Armenia has a clear political commitment and is consistently pursuing the measures required to meet the benchmarks set out in the Action Plan.

He noted that Armenia has already made significant progress in several areas and that important legislative processes are expected to be completed in the near future.

At the same time, Ghazaryan stressed that legislative reforms must be accompanied by their effective implementation. In this context, he referred to the biometric system, noting that it is expected to become operational in the near future.

The meeting addressed progress on several measures envisaged by the Action Plan, including permanent residence requirements under the proposed new law on citizenship, migration flows, and integrated border management and control.

Members of the mission highlighted the importance of constructive partnership with Armenia and of assessing progress in meeting the benchmarks related to the Action Plan’s legislative and sectoral policy framework. They stressed that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss existing challenges through open and constructive dialogue, clarify outstanding issues, and identify the next steps.

The Armenian side reaffirmed its commitment to fulfilling the obligations undertaken under the Action Plan within the established deadlines, while also taking into account the time required for the relevant legislative processes within the EU.