ArmInfo. Bulgaria stands for the start of a dialogue on visa liberalization between Armenia and the European Union. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria Ekaterina Zakharieva announced this on October 28 at a joint press conference with the Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan.
At the same time, she emphasized that Bulgaria initially facilitated the dialogue between Armenia and the European Union, and the ratification by the Bulgarian Parliament of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement also evidence of this. According to her, Bulgaria is the third of the EU countries to ratify this Agreement. "I believe that the beginning of the dialogue will allow us to resolve promptly a number of minor issues that arise. We stand for the beginning of the dialogue," the diplomat noted.
An agreement on simplification of visa issuance procedure was signed in December 2012, and a readmission agreement between Armenia and the European Union in April 2013. Both agreements entered into force on January 1, 2015. In accordance with the agreement on visa facilitation, a number of categories of citizens of Armenia got the opportunity to visit the Schengen area by facilitated procedures, in particular, members of official delegations, scientists, students, journalists, sports and cultural figures, close relatives of lawfully residing in EU countries, participants in events organized by the structures of the Armenian Diaspora operating in the EU, and others. As well as lowering the tariffs for an entry visa to the Schengen zone to 35 euros. Along with this, this visa is granted free of charge to a number of categories of citizens, including children and pensioners. In addition, this agreement allows Armenian citizens to visit EU countries on short-term visas for a period of 180 days instead of the previous 90.
For several years, official Yerevan has insisted on the need to move to a new stage and start a dialogue on liberalizing the visa regime, meanwhile, the European side has postponed this process under various pretexts.