In an interview with BMG's Yerevan bureau, Arman Yeghoyan, a member of parliament and chairman of the Armenian Parliament's Standing Committee on European Integration, discussed recent decisions made at the EU Council level regarding the provision of assistance to Armenia through the European Peace Facility and the start of dialogue on visa liberalization. Yeghoyan shared his vision of Armenia's prospects for European integration, outlined the necessary steps to achieve a visa-free regime with the EU, and highlighted the role of Georgia in this process. Issues of security cooperation and the possibility of Armenia's future membership in the EU were also addressed.
Mr. Yeghoyan, on July 22, the Council of the European Union at the level of Foreign Ministers decided to provide Armenia with assistance within the framework of the European Peace Facility and to start a dialogue on visa liberalization. How would you comment on these decisions, and what do they mean for Armenia?
Well, we've been waiting for the decision regarding the launch of the visa liberalization dialogue for a number of years, for five, six years. And this is an outstanding achievement for us. I would assess it as such, and we're happy this decision was made at the level of the Council. And now it's time to work on the dialogue itself, and to fulfill all the requirements that are needed, so that the actual visa liberalization is there as soon as possible. As for the European Peace Facility, we applied to benefit from this tool about a year ago. And again, it is a very important decision for us. Hopefully, this will not be the last decision on this matter, and this will pave the way for a wider and deeper cooperation regarding security matters and peace-related measures.
Please explain what kind of assistance the EU will provide to Armenia under the European Peace Facility. What does this mean?
Well, it was briefly described in the press release that it will mostly be technical assistance, which will enable the Armenian armed forces to more swiftly cooperate in international missions, including EU military missions elsewhere, and including some military cooperation in Armenia as well, if the political decision is there. So, it’s a measure to technically support the Armenian armed forces, which is a very important step, as I said.
Thank you. Can we say that the EU is becoming a stable and long-term partner for Armenia in the field of security?
Well, to describe it briefly, I can say that yes, EU-Armenia relations are becoming more stable, more institutionalized, and more long-term goal-oriented, let's say, including in the field of security. Yes, because we are widening and deepening our relations on a multi-dimensional scale, and security matters cannot stand aside. We hope that we will achieve better goals in the future.
Regarding visa liberalization, what path must Armenia take to achieve a visa-free regime with the EU? How long is this expected to take?
So, first of all, there are several conditions that Armenia should fulfill to achieve actual visa liberalization. First, we should adopt the system of biometric passports because this is the format accepted in the EU for a visa-free regime. The second measure is related to health insurance. Thirdly, we need to have respective norms and regulations regarding anti-discrimination measures so that people are less likely to be discriminated against, and thus, less likely to have an idea of illegally migrating to the European Union; this is also an important measure. The fourth measure is related to border control, specifically integrated border control, so that right at the border, there is overall information about the person traveling to Europe, and if there are some misconducts on his behalf, whenever done, also regarding the breach of norms of the visa-free regime, these issues are addressed right at the border. These are the four main preconditions, and I think that if we work very hard, we can fulfill these obligations in approximately three to five years, maybe two and a half, but not more than five years.
What role does Georgia play in Armenia's European integration? How much does Yerevan align its plans with Georgia in the matter of European integration?
Well, Georgia, I will be very frank with you and with our Georgian colleagues, Georgia directly and indirectly is our path to the European Union, both on the ground and on the political level. For us, it’s crucial that Georgia is committed to its European path so that it paves the way for our European path too. So, in a nutshell, it’s crucial for us.
Can we expect that Armenia will submit an application for EU membership in the future? How mature is this issue in Armenia?
Well, if we talk about the future, it will depend on how fast the processes that should precede the EU membership application will go. There are a number of measures that we should undertake in advance. Now, we are not yet there to submit an application right now, but if we fulfill the measures that normally precede the application for EU membership, yes, in the near future, we can consider this. But first of all, we need to diversify our economy, diversify our energy sector, and have a more stable situation on the ground so that general political shifts pass as smoothly as possible.
