Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan met with the Vice President of the European Commission, Commissioner for European Lifestyle Affairs Margaritis Schinas, in small and extended groups.

During the meetings, the critical issues of the RA-EU relations agenda were discussed; in particular, both sides emphasized the full implementation of the Comprehensive and Extended Partnership Agreement and the effective implementation of the landmark programs developed under the EU economic and investment plan. The interlocutors emphasized the importance of starting the RA-EU political and security dialogue and deploying the EU civilian observation mission in Armenia.

After the meetings, RA Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan and Vice President of the European Commission, Commissioner for European Lifestyle Affairs Margaritis Schinas, made statements announcing the official start of negotiations on the liberalization of EU entry permits (visas).

The statement of RA Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.

"Dear Mr. Schinas, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, I welcome you and the delegation headed by you to Armenia. Your visit to Armenia will give new impetus to developing our bilateral relations.

I am happy to record that today, we had productive discussions regarding the priorities of the Armenia-European Union partnership and the upcoming actions in their direction. Our bilateral relations have been less intense than in recent years, covering key areas of cooperation.

We note with satisfaction that the agenda of RA-EU relations has been supplemented with new essential components: the start of the political and security dialogue and the deployment of the EU civilian observation mission in Armenia.

We are currently negotiating with the EU side the new agenda of more ambitious and comprehensive partnership priorities and the resilience and growth plan, which aims to expand the horizons of our cooperation in implementing democratic reforms and ensuring socio-economic stability.

Naturally, we continue to consistently work towards fully implementing the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, emphasizing the localization of EU best practices as an integral part of our reform agenda.

Our joint platform's activity for coordinating RA-EU investment programs is also noteworthy, as it provides an opportunity to ensure the effective implementation of landmark programs developed under the EU economic and investment plan.

In this context, we thank the European side for contributing to developing vital infrastructures for Armenia and expect continued cooperation.

We also emphasize the European Union's support for the "Crossroads of Peace" initiative to ensure the region's sustainable development. As you know, the Council of the European Union adopted two critical decisions for Armenia on July 22 of this year: providing support to Armenia within the framework of the "European Instrument for Peace" and starting the dialogue on the liberalization of entry permits (visas).

These decisions are essential steps in the context of our commitment to deepen our partnership with the EU and expand cooperation mechanisms. Armenia attaches great importance to initiating the dialogue on the liberalization of entry permits (visas) while realizing that consistent and targeted work is necessary to achieve the final goal.

We refer to this process as a strategic agenda to modernize migration, movement of people, and border management. Today, we officially announce the start of a process that will result in the liberalization of the EU's entry permit (visa) regime.

I want to reaffirm the Government of the Republic of Armenia's commitment to moving forward with the European Commission by implementing the necessary reforms outlined in the bilateral agenda, which aims to further develop and deepen Armenia-EU relations.

Concluding my speech, I congratulate everyone on the official start of negotiations on the liberalization of EU entry permits (visas) and wish them fruitful work."

The statement of Margaritis Schinas, Vice President of the European Commission, Commissioner for European Lifestyle Affairs.

"Thank you, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister; let me say how happy I am to be in Armenia today. I am thrilled that, together with Deputy Prime Minister Grigoryan, we are announcing the start of this historic dialogue at the political level aimed at the liberalization of visas between the European Union and Armenia. It is a significant, historic day, and I am thrilled that deputies of the Armenian Parliament and deputy ministers of various ministries accompany us during this critical day.

I had the opportunity to discuss President Khachatryan during the day with Prime Minister Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Mirzoyan. We are delighted that Armenia is an anchor of stability and sanity in a stormy region. The quality and depth of EU-Armenia relations prove that this country is committed to peace and stability.

Today's step in starting the visa liberalization dialogue should be considered a collaborative initiative. This should be viewed as another manifestation of the European Union's committed attitude towards Armenia. Together with our American friends in economy and investment, we have announced a new Resilience and Growth Program of 270 million euros, in addition to the 600 million we are already investing in this country.

In terms of security, we are delighted that the European Union's mission in Armenia is now becoming tangible evidence of the European Union's support for Armenia's borders. We are also pleased that Armenia can receive support for its armed forces under the European peace instrument for the first time in history. All of this is evidence that this country has implemented impressive grassroots reforms that have strengthened the country's resilience in recent years, many of which are also part of our Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement.

But today, the action has a particular historical significance because the start of the visa liberalization dialogue will mean in practice that when this implementation phase is completed, all citizens of Armenia will be able to travel freely to the European Union for short visits, which will provide many tangible benefits for education, business, tourism, training, for training, meeting friends and relatives, as well as for love.

The goal is to reach the endpoint as soon as possible, but there is no automatism in this process; this process will be demanding. This process requires a significant degree of commitment from the Government of Armenia, along with our support. I am confident, however, that given the impressive achievements of the Armenian authorities and the determination to achieve this, we will move forward quickly.

Today, we started this process at the political level; at the technical level now, our teams are working together on particular issues that need to be resolved, in particular the security of travel documents, border, migration, and asylum management, public order, and security issues, in particular the struggle against organized crime and corruption, and of course, fundamental rights issues related to freedom of movement. This is a demanding task, a demanding problem, but it is feasible, solvable, and completely solvable.

By completing this process as soon as possible, we will help the Armenian people see that the path to the European Union is not just an aspiration but something they can already feel and benefit from.

Dear Deputy Prime Minister, We look forward to our energetic work in the future. I am glad that the leading teams involved in this process are here with us, and I want to express my optimism that visa liberalization will soon become a reality for all Armenians."