Armenia interested in starting dialogue on EU visa liberalization – Mher Grigoryan

Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan and EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Oliver Varheiy, on a visit in Armenia, made today a joint statement.

Grigoryan said in part: “Despite the challenges Armenia is facing, our country is consistently pursuing the path of democratic reforms. I would like to emphasize that the European Union has been and remains one of Armenia’s key partners in the implementation of the ambitious agenda of reforms. In this context, I must address the need to complete the ratification process of the Comprehensive Extended Partnership Agreement and to enter into full force.

As you know, as a result of the work of the interagency commission chaired by me, we already have a fully approved roadmap for the implementation of the Agreement, which consists of more than 300 measures. As we have repeatedly emphasized, the agreement is one of the most important pillars of our reform agenda. The measures included in the roadmap cover almost all areas, including education – science, health, social protection, infrastructure, economy, environment – and other areas. Reaffirming Armenia’s commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, I am confident that the effective implementation of the Agreement will play an important role in ensuring the continuity of these reforms.

During the discussions, we certainly referred to the Armenia-European Union cooperation within the framework of the Eastern Partnership. As you know, the Eastern Partnership is entering a new 5-year phase of cooperation, within the framework of which we have planned large-scale projects. In this regard, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, I would like to thank the European Union for the 1.6 billion euros to be allocated to Armenia through various financial instruments. We recognize that the EU appreciates Armenia’s progress in implementing reforms, as evidenced by the fact that Armenia is the most widely supported country in the South Caucasus. It should be noted that the support will be directed to the five priority initiatives of the Government jointly defined by the EU, which are related to supporting small and medium enterprises, building infrastructure supporting the North-South highway, socio-economic development of the southern regions of Armenia, digital governance and promoting innovation.

We consider it necessary to emphasize that in addition to the planned cooperation within the framework of the Eastern Partnership, we also summarize the framework of our bilateral annual programs for 2021-2027, where we envisage measures related to Armenia’s socio-economic recovery and resilience, sustainable development, modernization of infrastructure, democratic and transparent governance, as well as a number of other areas. In discussions with the Commissioner, we also used to promote people-to-people contacts. In this context, we have once again stressed that Armenia is very interested in launching a dialogue with the EU on visa liberalization. We are full of hope that through joint efforts we will be able to ensure the upward development of Armenia-European Union relations, based on universal values and democratic principles.”