The European Union is allocating €2.2 million to Armenia to support the visa liberalization process. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the funding will be directed toward reforms in border management, document security, and the law enforcement system.
On June 1, the launch ceremony was held for the program titled “Support to the Visa Liberalisation Dialogue in Armenia in the Areas of Border Management, Document Security and Law Enforcement Reforms.”
Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan stated that this is the first program in Armenia specifically designed to directly support the visa liberalization process. According to her, the initiative represents an important step toward deepening Armenia-EU cooperation, expanding opportunities for Armenian citizens to travel freely and with dignity, and strengthening people-to-people ties.
The minister also emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation with European Union member states, noting that the program is being implemented in partnership with the Republic of Lithuania.
According to Sargsyan, under the leadership of the prime minister, Armenia has set the goal of achieving a visa-free regime with the European Union as quickly as possible, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will continue its consistent efforts in that direction.
Speeches during the event were delivered by the head of the European Union Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos; Lithuanian Deputy Minister of the Interior Gintaras Aliksandravičius; and Lithuania’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia, Andrius Pulokas.
Senior representatives of the European Union and Lithuania praised Armenia’s progress, emphasizing that reforms carried out within the framework of the visa liberalization dialogue under the coordination of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have already produced visible and tangible results. Project Team Leader Evelina Gudzinskaite presented the initiative’s key priorities and planned activities.
The program “Support to the Visa Liberalisation Dialogue in Armenia in the Areas of Border Management, Document Security and Law Enforcement Reforms” is financed by the European Union, implemented by the Republic of Lithuania and carried out in close cooperation with Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
