A European Commission representative believes that forecasts of visa-free travel for Armenia by 2029 are premature.

ArmInfo. The European Commission is not yet ready to confirm the introduction of a visa-free regime between the European Union and Armenia by 2029. This was stated by European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho at a briefing in Brussels.

"Is it too early to predict whether 2029 or another date will be the moment of visa liberalization? I would say that it is, but it is still too early to be precise," Pinho said, according to media reports.

It is worth noting that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stated his intention to achieve visa liberalization with the EU by 2029. Armenian officials have repeatedly expressed hope in interviews to achieve visa liberalization within the next three years.

As a reminder, on July 17, 2024, the European Council approved the European Commission's proposal to launch a visa liberalization dialogue with Armenia.

Experts are unable to say how long these negotiations will last.

The European Commission stated on July 22 of that year that the launch of the dialogue would support Armenia in achieving its long-term goal of visa-free travel with the EU.

It stated that the dialogue would lead to reforms in key areas, including travel document security, border control, migration and asylum, public order, external relations, and fundamental rights in Armenia. The Commission will closely monitor progress in these areas in close cooperation with the European Parliament and the Council. The dialogue will be held within the framework of the Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP), which was presented to the Armenian authorities following discussions in the Council. If successfully completed, it will make it easier and cheaper for Armenian citizens to travel to Europe for short periods (less than 90 days in any 180-day period).