Head of EU Delegation: The EU is positive in the matter of starting a  dialogue on visa liberalization

ArmInfo. The main parameters for the start of the discussion process on visa liberalization with the EU have not changed. This was stated by head of the EU delegation in Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Switalski on February 26 at a press  conference in Yerevan.

According to the European diplomat, Armenia is taking concrete steps  in this direction. However, as the Ambassador pointed out, it must be  remembered that the question has both political and practical sides.   According to the diplomat, the EU member states should express their  position on the issue. "We are guided by a political statement  enshrined in the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement,  which says that dialogue is possible with well-managed and safe  mechanisms for moving people," said Piotr Switalski.

According to the diplomat, during the next round in April 2018, the  Armenian side was informed about the concerns of individual EU  members regarding the issue of migration. "Based on this, I cannot  name any deadlines now. European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy  and EU Expansion Johannes Hahn and EU Head of Diplomacy Federica  Mogherini are positive about starting a dialogue. But it will be  possible if stable guarantees are provided for the safe movement of  citizens within the EU, " Ambassador Switalski said.

To note, at the beginning of February of this year Chairman of the  Standing Committee on European Integration Arman Yeghoyan, referring  to the process of liberalizing the visa regime with the European  Union, stressed that he slowed down for a number of objective  reasons: "In particular, elections to the European Parliament are to  be held in May," said the head of the committe. To the remark that  the previous authorities of Armenia provided for two years for the  process of visa liberalization, the deputy replied: "I can't mark a  clear deadline, as it will be associated with a number of factors  that I cannot predict right now. No one can say how fast the process  will progress after the elections to the European Parliament, or how  fast we will be able to implement the relevant reforms. "