EU invests €2.2 million to support Armenia’s path toward visa-free travel, Interior Minister says
A launch ceremony was held on June 1 for the project “Support to the Visa Liberalization Dialogue in Armenia in the Areas of Border Management, Document Security and Law Enforcement Reforms.”
The European Union is allocating €2.2 million to Armenia to support the visa liberalization process. The funding will be directed toward reforms in border management, document security, and the law enforcement sector.
Armenian Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan emphasized that this is the first program in Armenia specifically designed to 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 contacts.
The minister also highlighted the importance of deepening cooperation with EU member states, noting that the program is being implemented in partnership with Lithuania.
Sargsyan stated that, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Armenia aims to establish a visa-free regime with the European Union as quickly as possible, and that the Ministry of Internal Affairs will continue its consistent efforts toward that goal.
Speakers at the event included the Head of the European Union Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos; Lithuania’s Vice Minister of the Interior, Gintaras Aliksandravičius; and Lithuania’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia, Andrius Pulokas.
Senior EU and Lithuanian officials praised Armenia’s progress, noting that reforms implemented within the framework of the visa liberalization dialogue under the coordination of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are already producing visible and tangible results.
Project Team Leader Evelina Gudzinskaite presented the project’s main priorities and planned activities.
The “Support to the Visa Liberalization Dialogue in Armenia in the Areas of Border Management, Document Security and Law Enforcement Reforms” project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Republic of Lithuania in close cooperation with Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.