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EU TO LAUNCH VISA LIBERALIZATION TALKS WITH ARMENIA, NOTES PROGRESS
Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
Sept 20 2011
SC
European Union's Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, following
his meeting with Tigran Sargsyan, Prime Minister of the Republic
of Armenia, announced that the Commission has just adopted the
negotiating directives for the negotiations on the visa facilitation
and readmission agreements with Armenia.
"It is our intention to launch negotiations as soon as the Council
adopts the mandate," Fule said referring to easy visa requirements for
the citizens of Armenia, who want to travel to Europea Union. Both
sides agreed that Amenia dn EU remain committed to further enhance
the relations within the renewed European Neighbourhood Policy.
Further visa developments in ten days
The visa liberalization policy between EU and Armenia will be further
developed in ten days in Poland. At the Eastern Partnership Summit the
sides will reconfirm their mutual commitment and create an important
momentum to bring the countries of Eastern Partnership even closer
to the EU. This summit, which will take place in Warsaw, is seen as
a milestone in the program's history. The president of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan will travel to Warsaw to participate in the summit.
The visa agreement will be based on reciprocity. EU will facilitate
and liberalize issuing short term visas and Armenia, in return,
will readmit its citizens who are irregular migrants in EU.
The mechanism are already agreed. "The list of suggested visa
facilitations include the simplification of documentary evidence to
be submitted in support of the visa application, the possibility
of issuing multiple-entry visas with a long period of validity,
the waiving/reducing of the handling fees for specific categories of
travellers, set deadlines for processing visa applications, as well as
a possible exemption from the visa obligation for holders of diplomatic
passports," said Cecilia Malmstrom, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs.
She added that these are the tangible results of the Eastern
Partnership.
Sources familiar with the matter, told Huliq that the visa facilitation
will be carried out in several stages. The first stage will be the
simplification of required documents, lowering the fees and providing
visa exemption for those who hold diplomatic passport.
The next stage, expected in spring of 2012, will be easy requirements
for students and businessmen. By the early 2013 Armenia and European
Union will be close to waiving visa requirements for mutual travel.
EaP Background (Reference) The upcoming Eastern Partnership
Ministerial meeting will provide an opportunity to take stock of the
implementation of the Eastern Partnership. It will also allow the
EU and the partner countries to discuss the further implementation
of the Eastern Partnership with a view to supporting further reforms
and strengthening and deepening the relations between the EU and the
partner countries on the basis of common values.
http://www.huliq.com/1/eu-launch-visa-liberalization-talks-armenia-noting-progress-589-armenia
From: A. Papazian
Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
Sept 20 2011
SC
European Union's Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, following
his meeting with Tigran Sargsyan, Prime Minister of the Republic
of Armenia, announced that the Commission has just adopted the
negotiating directives for the negotiations on the visa facilitation
and readmission agreements with Armenia.
"It is our intention to launch negotiations as soon as the Council
adopts the mandate," Fule said referring to easy visa requirements for
the citizens of Armenia, who want to travel to Europea Union. Both
sides agreed that Amenia dn EU remain committed to further enhance
the relations within the renewed European Neighbourhood Policy.
Further visa developments in ten days
The visa liberalization policy between EU and Armenia will be further
developed in ten days in Poland. At the Eastern Partnership Summit the
sides will reconfirm their mutual commitment and create an important
momentum to bring the countries of Eastern Partnership even closer
to the EU. This summit, which will take place in Warsaw, is seen as
a milestone in the program's history. The president of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan will travel to Warsaw to participate in the summit.
The visa agreement will be based on reciprocity. EU will facilitate
and liberalize issuing short term visas and Armenia, in return,
will readmit its citizens who are irregular migrants in EU.
The mechanism are already agreed. "The list of suggested visa
facilitations include the simplification of documentary evidence to
be submitted in support of the visa application, the possibility
of issuing multiple-entry visas with a long period of validity,
the waiving/reducing of the handling fees for specific categories of
travellers, set deadlines for processing visa applications, as well as
a possible exemption from the visa obligation for holders of diplomatic
passports," said Cecilia Malmstrom, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs.
She added that these are the tangible results of the Eastern
Partnership.
Sources familiar with the matter, told Huliq that the visa facilitation
will be carried out in several stages. The first stage will be the
simplification of required documents, lowering the fees and providing
visa exemption for those who hold diplomatic passport.
The next stage, expected in spring of 2012, will be easy requirements
for students and businessmen. By the early 2013 Armenia and European
Union will be close to waiving visa requirements for mutual travel.
EaP Background (Reference) The upcoming Eastern Partnership
Ministerial meeting will provide an opportunity to take stock of the
implementation of the Eastern Partnership. It will also allow the
EU and the partner countries to discuss the further implementation
of the Eastern Partnership with a view to supporting further reforms
and strengthening and deepening the relations between the EU and the
partner countries on the basis of common values.
http://www.huliq.com/1/eu-launch-visa-liberalization-talks-armenia-noting-progress-589-armenia
From: A. Papazian