ArmInfo. The CE Foreign Relations Council today, July 22, will consider the conclusions on the dialogue on visa liberalization with Armenia. The corresponding announcement of the agenda was published on the website of the European Commission.
In addition, the Council's decision on assistance measures within the European Peace Fund to support the Armed Forces of Armenia will be considered. In total, there are 33 issues on the meeting agenda covering different regions of the world.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Armenia on European Integration, Arman Yegoyan, announced that these issues would be included in the Council's agenda. Let us add that last week it became known that the European Council approved the European
Commission's proposal to begin negotiations around the liberalization of the visa regime with Armenia.
Let us recall that the Agreement on Simplification of Visa Issuance Procedures was signed in December 2012, and the Readmission Agreement between Armenia and the European Union in April 2013. Both agreements entered into force simultaneously on January 1, 2015. The UK, Ireland and Denmark are not part of the agreement. In accordance with the agreement on visa facilitation, citizens of Armenia enjoy simplified procedures for obtaining entry visas to the Schengen area. This is meant for a number of categories of Armenian citizens, in particular, members of official delegations, scientists, students, journalists, sports and cultural figures, close relatives of those legally residing in EU countries, participants in events organized by the Armenian diaspora structures operating in the EU, and others. Tariffs for an entry visa to the Schengen zone were lowered from 60 euros to 35 euros. In addition, this visa is provided free of charge to a number of categories of citizens, including children and pensioners. In addition, this agreement allows citizens of Armenia to visit EU countries on short-term visas for a period of 180 days instead of the previous 90. In accordance with the agreement on visa facilitation, citizens of Armenia enjoy simplified procedures for obtaining entry visas to the Schengen area.
Let us also note that despite the fact that Armenia has fully complied with the first stage of the agreement, the EU, for various reasons, is delaying the launch of the second stage, at the start of the dialogue on visa liberalization.