Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has expressed hope that the visa liberalization regime between Armenia and the European Union (EU) will be implemented by 2029.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, citing Armenian media, Pashinyan made the statement during a joint briefing with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Yerevan.
"I had previously stated that our goal was to achieve this within two years. I hope that this will be possible starting in 2029," Pashinyan said, adding that Armenia and the EU are working closely on this initiative.
For her part, von der Leyen emphasized that visa liberalization is a process contingent upon the implementation of necessary reforms. "There will be new assessment missions; a new mission will arrive this autumn to evaluate progress on the remaining benchmarks. Once all necessary conditions are met, we will be able to move to a visa-free regime. Only a few reforms are needed, and once they are completed, you will cross the finish line," she said, acknowledging Armenia's progress in this direction.
The European Union's visa liberalization dialogues are structured processes aimed at facilitating people-to-people contacts and strengthening cooperation between the EU and partner countries. These dialogues typically involve rigorous assessments of security, migration management, and human rights standards. For Armenia, aligning its legislative framework with EU standards remains a critical component of its broader foreign policy objectives and its ongoing partnership with Brussels.
