14:22,

YEREVAN, MAY 15, ARMENPRESS. Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin commented on the visa liberalization issue between the EU and Armenia during a press conference on May 15.

Asked on the problem of queues at EU embassies for entry visas, Wiktorin said she personally wants the dialogue around visa liberalization to commence, but this requires consent from all 27 members of the EU.

“I know that now there is a difficult situation. We maintain close contact with the foreign ministry, also with member states to try to understand how to facilitate and improve the visa procedures,” she said at the press conference on Europe Day and EU-Armenia relations. 

The ambassador mentioned that many European embassies experienced problems in returning to normal course of work after the COVID-19 pandemic.

She added that many travel agencies in Armenia are booking all available hours in advance, which is a problem. “That’s why we need to work in this direction. That’s why Germany and Lithuania changed their procedures,” Wiktorin said, mentioning that it is highly important for people to know that making an appointment is free of charge in all embassies.

Speaking about launching the visa liberalization dialogue, the ambassador said: “We are ready. This issue must be discussed with member countries because we can only start the dialogue when we have consent from all 27 member countries. But I know that the Armenian foreign ministry is very much involved. And it is now working with countries that have some issues of concern. I hope the process will start soon. I personally want this process to start, but we need to listen to the positions, opinions and concerns of member states.”