Monday, October 28 2019 14:24

ArmInfo. Bulgaria stands for the start of a dialogue on visa liberalization between Armenia and the European Union. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria Ekaterina  Zakharieva announced this on October 28 at a joint press conference  with the Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan.

At the same time, she emphasized that Bulgaria initially facilitated  the dialogue between Armenia and the European Union, and the  ratification by the Bulgarian Parliament of the EU-Armenia   Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement  also evidence of  this. According to her, Bulgaria is the third of the EU countries to  ratify this Agreement. "I believe that the beginning of the dialogue  will allow us to resolve promptly a number of minor issues that  arise. We stand for the beginning of the dialogue," the diplomat  noted.

An agreement on simplification of visa issuance procedure was signed  in December 2012, and a readmission agreement between Armenia and the  European Union in April 2013. Both agreements entered into force on  January 1, 2015. In accordance with the agreement on visa  facilitation, a number of categories of citizens of Armenia got the  opportunity to visit the Schengen area by facilitated procedures, in  particular, members of official delegations, scientists, students,  journalists, sports and cultural figures, close relatives of lawfully  residing in EU countries, participants in events organized by the  structures of the Armenian Diaspora operating in the EU, and others.  As well as lowering the tariffs for an entry visa to the Schengen  zone to 35 euros. Along with this, this visa is granted free of  charge to a number of categories of citizens, including children and  pensioners. In addition, this agreement allows Armenian citizens to  visit EU countries on short-term visas for a period of 180 days  instead of the previous 90.

For several years, official Yerevan has insisted on the need to move  to a new stage and start a dialogue on liberalizing the visa regime,  meanwhile, the European side has postponed this process under various  pretexts.