RA minister of interior, EU officials discuss visa liberalization  process 

ArmInfo.  Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan, during a meeting with a delegation led by Adrian Kiraly, Director-General for Neighborhood East and Eastern Affairs at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Enlargement and Neighborhood East, praised the close cooperation between Yerevan and Brussels.

According to the press service of the Armenian Ministry of Internal  Affairs, Sargsyan also highlighted the active steps and tangible  results being taken toward visa liberalization. She emphasized that  an Action Plan will be presented to the Armenian government in the  near future, which will provide significant impetus to these  processes.

The Armenian Interior Minister also spoke about the introduction of a  biometric system in the country, which will result in citizens being  issued new passports and identity cards starting in 2026.

The Minister emphasized that work on the Migration Strategy is  ongoing, and the concept will be ready by the end of the year. Work  on developing anti-discrimination legislation is also in progress. It  was also noted that Armenia will soon adopt its first unified Crime  Prevention Strategy, and work in this area is also in full swing.

Kiraly emphasized the importance of an effective bilateral  partnership and expressed readiness to continue it. It was noted that  EU partners reaffirmed their support for Armenia's "Crossroads of the  World" initiative and commended Armenia's steps toward visa  liberalization with the EU.

In terms of strengthening cooperation, the appointment of a liaison  officer to Europol by Armenia was noted; the nomination will be  announced shortly. Issues related to ongoing cooperation programs in  border management and policing were also discussed.

It should be noted that visa liberalization negotiations between  Armenia and the European Union were launched in Yerevan in December  2024. The talks were chaired by RA Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan  and European Commission Deputy Director-General for Migration and  Home Affairs Johannes Luchner, who exchanged views on reforms in key  areas crucial to achieving visa-free travel with the EU. These areas  include document security, border and migration management, mobility  and asylum policy, the fight against corruption and organized crime,  and the protection of citizens' fundamental rights. Both sides  confirmed that the process has no deadline for completing the  negotiations.