EU visa talks with Armenia to continue in April

PanARMENIAN.Net - Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan stated that the next round of EU-Armenia visa liberalization negotiations will take place in April, with continued strong engagement from both sides.

The visa liberalization talks between Armenia and the European Union remain active, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan, who addressed the Standing Committee on European Integration of the National Assembly in an emergency session.

He recalled that the dialogue officially began in December 2024, when an EU delegation arrived in Yerevan to initiate intensive negotiations, as reported by Armenpress.

"The next phase is scheduled for April 7–11, 2025, when the second delegation will arrive. We have prepared well for this process, and our colleagues across various agencies are adequately equipped. Even the European partners have expressed pleasant surprise at our level of readiness," said Hovhannisyan.

Although the process is progressing actively, Hovhannisyan noted that it is currently impossible to specify when it might conclude. "EU partners consistently avoid setting firm deadlines. Based on other countries’ experiences, such processes typically take three to six years. However, I believe Armenia’s case could move faster than in many other countries. We continue to keep this matter on our agenda," he emphasized.

The Council of the European Union decided in July 2024 to initiate dialogue with Armenia on visa liberalization. On September 9, 2025, Armenia and the EU jointly announced the formal launch of the process, and by February 2025, an EU expert mission had already visited Armenia as part of the negotiations.

Hovhannisyan was responding to a question from MP Armen Gevorgyan of the Armenia faction, Sputnik Armenia reports.

Gevorgyan asked whether any timeline clarity exists regarding the visa liberalization process. "You’ve been negotiating for over a year. Is there any indication of when this issue will be resolved, or will we keep meeting each year just to say that negotiations are ongoing and might take 2, 3, 4, or 5 years? As Armenia’s lead negotiator, what timeline have you proposed?" the MP questioned.

Hovhannisyan acknowledged that the partial implementation of the EU-Armenia visa facilitation agreement has led to numerous complaints. "The complaints are many and persistent. We are negotiating with various countries and believe there has been some improvement due to new consulates opening. Still, the overall situation cannot be considered satisfactory," he said.

On timelines, he added that while he, too, would prefer to provide specific deadlines, EU officials remain cautious. Based on other nations’ experiences, such processes generally span 3 to 6 years.

The National Assembly's Standing Committee on European Integration has approved a decision to include the draft law on launching EU membership talks on the agenda of the next four-day parliamentary session for a second reading.