ArmInfo. Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn hopes that the process on launching new round of negotiators on visa liberalization with Armenia will finish soon.
He noted that in order to launch the new round of negotiations all the 28 countries members of the EU should give their consent, some of them have already agreed.
Preparatory work on this issue has not finished yet, Hahn stated at the press conference on the results of the 8th non-official meeting of European Partnership countries' foreign ministers.
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in turn expressed hope that the new round of negotiators between Armenia and the EU on visa liberalization will be launched soon.
To note, on December 17, 2012 visa regime facilitation agreement was signed between Armenia and EU, which came into force on January 1, 2014. The agreement quickened the procedure of issuing visas in the consulates of EU countries, accredited to Armenia. The decision on issuing visa is made within 10 days and in emergency situations within two or less days. Besides, according to the agreement fewer documents are needed for receiving visa. After the signing of agreement the price of visa fell to 35 EUR versus 60 EUR, which the tourists had to pay prior to the ratification of the document. Another advantage of the facilitated visa regime is free of charge visa provided to children younger than 12, as well as to persons with disabilities and persons accompanying them. This document envisages facilitated procedure of receiving visas for entering countries of Schengen zone for the members of official delegations, journalists, businessmen, scientists, sportsmen, schoolchildren and students, close relatives of EU citizens, as well as for the people who visit European Union countries for medical treatment. Participants of various international conferences, exchange programs and other international public events also may get visas via facilitated procedure, in total the list of various groups of people who get opportunity to visit European Union is quite large due to the facilitation agreement. The procedure of issuing multiple entry visas has also been facilitated, which was too complex and time-consuming before. Armenian citizens with diplomatic passports do not need to receive visas. The agreement regulates the terms of Armenian citizen's stay in the territory of EU. Now this period totals 90 days in 180-day period.