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WILL ARMENIA AND THE EU ADOPT A VISA-FREE REGIME?
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Nov 7 2013
7 November 2013 - 12:36pm
By David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
Discussions of the simplified visa regime and readmission approved by
the European Parliament which started in the Armenian National Assembly
have become a new reason for intensive parliamentary debates about the
reasons why Armenia should join the Customs Union (CU). The agreement
on simplification of visa procedures was signed in December 2012,
the readmission agreement was signed in April 2013. Thus, Armenia
became the second country of the region to simplify the visa regime
with the EU after Georgia. Armenia adopted a visa-free regime for EU
citizens unilaterally on April 1, 2013.
Armen Liloyan, head of the European Department of the Armenian Foreign
Ministry, said that, with account of contacts with European states,
the country had natural need to simplify the mechanism of visits of EU
citizens to Armenia. According to the document presented to Armenian
diplomats, members of state delegations, citizens with close relatives,
students, journalists, athletes, businessmen, scientists and pupils
will enjoy simplified mechanisms for Schengen visa-issuing.
Schengen visas will be free of charge for pensioners, children under
12, the handicapped and people accompanying them, and post-graduates
students. For others, the visa fees dropped from 60 to 35 euro. The
volume of documentation needed for embassies will be reduced and
time needed for visa decisions will drop to 10 days. Issuing of multi
visas will also become easier.
Liloyan noted that ratification and realization of agreements will
encourage dialogue with the EU to form a free market regime, though
the problem of lifting the visa regime altogether remained complicated
for some countries of the European Union in terms of migration. "With
account of the fact that signing of the agreement by Armenia and the
EU became a result of political will of the two sides, both agreements
are mutually connected and come into force at the same time," said
the ministerial official.
Naira Karapetyan, a member of the Armenian delegation to the PACE,
stated that the Visa Dialogue project aimed at implementation of the
visa-free regime will be formed as soon as the documents are signed.
The question is, how can the agreements match the lost opportunity to
sign the association agreement and the free trade zone agreement in
Vilnius? According to Liloyan, the summit of the Eastern Partnership
is not the end. "Yerevan has said time and again that the process
of rapprochement with Europe will continue in all fields, without
interfering in Eurasian integration processes. The DCFTA and AA are
not the goals in themselves, they are instruments for development
of Armenia. Considering the range of such instruments, Armenia will
choose the most preferable ones," said Liloyan.
At the same time, Alexander Arzumanyan, a member of the Free Democrats
Party (opposition) and Armenian ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs,
characterized the DCFTA as a "high-tech instrument" and the Eurasian
Union as a "rusty wrench." Noting the productivity of the past year of
discussions of integration with the EU, the oppositionist emphasized
that the process was dragged only because of Moscow. Arzumanyan
expressed confidence that Armenia will continue European integration
at any cost.
Naira Zograbyan, Secretary of Prosperous Armenia, objected that no one
in Armenia or Europe knew what Armenia would expect after the Vilnius
summit and how would relations with Europe develop after it. "With no
awareness of the obligations Armenia would take by joining the CU,
evaluation of the line the country would cross when intensifying
relations with Europe is impossible."
Gagik Makaryan, Chairman of the Armenian Union of Employers, said
that many entrepreneurs were outraged by the fact that their opinion
on membership in the CU was totally neglected. Azumanyan recommended
he express a consolidated rating of integration processes. "I am
sure that if business chooses Europe, political authorities will be
obliged to serve the business interests," the ex-minister stated.
Armenian Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan
declared that joining the CU became the price Armenia paid to avoid
higher gas prices. "By joining the CU, Armenia will pay $189 per
1000 square meters of gas, instead of $270, starting on April 1. The
decision to join the CU even to avoid higher gas prices was worth it
because 30% is a pretty big number," said the minister. Before deciding
to join the CU, Yerevan had had additional talks with Gazprom, trying
to find alternate paths for 30% subsidy of gas that had become more
expensive on April 1, 2013. Thus, the government fixed the price at
$189 by joining the CU and freed itself from gas debts accumulated
since April 1.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/47306.html
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Nov 7 2013
7 November 2013 - 12:36pm
By David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
Discussions of the simplified visa regime and readmission approved by
the European Parliament which started in the Armenian National Assembly
have become a new reason for intensive parliamentary debates about the
reasons why Armenia should join the Customs Union (CU). The agreement
on simplification of visa procedures was signed in December 2012,
the readmission agreement was signed in April 2013. Thus, Armenia
became the second country of the region to simplify the visa regime
with the EU after Georgia. Armenia adopted a visa-free regime for EU
citizens unilaterally on April 1, 2013.
Armen Liloyan, head of the European Department of the Armenian Foreign
Ministry, said that, with account of contacts with European states,
the country had natural need to simplify the mechanism of visits of EU
citizens to Armenia. According to the document presented to Armenian
diplomats, members of state delegations, citizens with close relatives,
students, journalists, athletes, businessmen, scientists and pupils
will enjoy simplified mechanisms for Schengen visa-issuing.
Schengen visas will be free of charge for pensioners, children under
12, the handicapped and people accompanying them, and post-graduates
students. For others, the visa fees dropped from 60 to 35 euro. The
volume of documentation needed for embassies will be reduced and
time needed for visa decisions will drop to 10 days. Issuing of multi
visas will also become easier.
Liloyan noted that ratification and realization of agreements will
encourage dialogue with the EU to form a free market regime, though
the problem of lifting the visa regime altogether remained complicated
for some countries of the European Union in terms of migration. "With
account of the fact that signing of the agreement by Armenia and the
EU became a result of political will of the two sides, both agreements
are mutually connected and come into force at the same time," said
the ministerial official.
Naira Karapetyan, a member of the Armenian delegation to the PACE,
stated that the Visa Dialogue project aimed at implementation of the
visa-free regime will be formed as soon as the documents are signed.
The question is, how can the agreements match the lost opportunity to
sign the association agreement and the free trade zone agreement in
Vilnius? According to Liloyan, the summit of the Eastern Partnership
is not the end. "Yerevan has said time and again that the process
of rapprochement with Europe will continue in all fields, without
interfering in Eurasian integration processes. The DCFTA and AA are
not the goals in themselves, they are instruments for development
of Armenia. Considering the range of such instruments, Armenia will
choose the most preferable ones," said Liloyan.
At the same time, Alexander Arzumanyan, a member of the Free Democrats
Party (opposition) and Armenian ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs,
characterized the DCFTA as a "high-tech instrument" and the Eurasian
Union as a "rusty wrench." Noting the productivity of the past year of
discussions of integration with the EU, the oppositionist emphasized
that the process was dragged only because of Moscow. Arzumanyan
expressed confidence that Armenia will continue European integration
at any cost.
Naira Zograbyan, Secretary of Prosperous Armenia, objected that no one
in Armenia or Europe knew what Armenia would expect after the Vilnius
summit and how would relations with Europe develop after it. "With no
awareness of the obligations Armenia would take by joining the CU,
evaluation of the line the country would cross when intensifying
relations with Europe is impossible."
Gagik Makaryan, Chairman of the Armenian Union of Employers, said
that many entrepreneurs were outraged by the fact that their opinion
on membership in the CU was totally neglected. Azumanyan recommended
he express a consolidated rating of integration processes. "I am
sure that if business chooses Europe, political authorities will be
obliged to serve the business interests," the ex-minister stated.
Armenian Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan
declared that joining the CU became the price Armenia paid to avoid
higher gas prices. "By joining the CU, Armenia will pay $189 per
1000 square meters of gas, instead of $270, starting on April 1. The
decision to join the CU even to avoid higher gas prices was worth it
because 30% is a pretty big number," said the minister. Before deciding
to join the CU, Yerevan had had additional talks with Gazprom, trying
to find alternate paths for 30% subsidy of gas that had become more
expensive on April 1, 2013. Thus, the government fixed the price at
$189 by joining the CU and freed itself from gas debts accumulated
since April 1.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/47306.html