Armenia intends to achieve visa liberalization with the European Union during 2029, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in the National Assembly.
Speaking about Armenia-EU relations, he said Armenia is currently the only country with which the European Union is conducting active negotiations on visa liberalization.
“And we intend to achieve visa liberalization with the EU during 2029,” he said, adding that Armenia’s closer relations with the EU have caused certain concerns in Russia.
“In my view, the development of our relations with the EU has actually provided an occasion for this rather than being its underlying cause. The fundamental reason for concerns in Russia is the transformation that has begun in Armenia-Russia relations,” he said, adding that due to objective and subjective historical circumstances, Armenia’s perception of its relations with Russia has primarily centered on military and security matters.
According to Pashinyan, the events of 2023 demonstrated that, because of its own security challenges, Russia may face significant limitations in fulfilling that role.
The visa liberalization dialogue between Armenia and the European Union has entered an official phase, which could eventually allow Armenian citizens to travel to the Schengen Area without a visa. The process has begun, but it requires time and extensive reforms.
