The visa liberalization dialogue between Armenia and the European Union is open-ended and will take as long as necessary to fully implement the roadmap and reform goals, said Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, during a press conference.
“It will take as long as needed to reach the reform goals. As the minister (referring to Armenia’s Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan) noted, major reforms are planned in various sectors, and these must support the successful implementation of the roadmap,” said Luchner, according to Armenpress.
He emphasized that both the EU and the Armenian side are committed to ensuring the process is not only swift but also meets high-quality standards.
Luchner noted that the next step belongs to Armenia, which must officially respond to the EU’s proposed roadmap. After that, the EU will dispatch expert teams to Armenia for evaluation.
“Our expert teams will come to Armenia to assess progress in different thematic areas and draft progress reports. The roadmap has two phases: the first covers legislative changes and the adoption of legal acts, while the second focuses on their practical implementation,” he said.
He also highlighted positive steps already taken by Armenia, particularly in introducing a biometric passport system, which the EU sees as a key achievement.
“Since Armenian authorities have acted quickly and effectively in implementing the biometric passport system, we now expect it to be operational by early next year. Other components concern legislative changes and will continue as part of an ongoing process, which we are committed to support,” Luchner concluded.
As part of the EU-Armenia visa liberalization dialogue, Johannes Luchner handed over the official roadmap to Arpine Sargsyan. The document outlines reforms Armenia must implement in areas such as security, border control, and human rights.
