After years of negotiations, the European Council in Brussels has finally approved the European Commission's proposal to begin visa liberalization talks with Armenia, diplomatic sources from Radio Liberty report.
"Following approval by the 27 member states, the matter will be handed over to the European Commission, which will announce the start date for the negotiations and outline the action plan for Yerevan," explains Rikard Jozwiak, Radio Liberty's Europe editor.
This process involves annual reports on the steps taken, which will continue for several years. For some countries, such as Moldova, the process took 3 to 4 years, Georgia — 5 years, Ukraine — 9 years. Talks with Turkey have been ongoing for over 10 years, illustrating that each country follows its own path. This is the beginning of a process that will take time to complete.
The decision on Armenia, which is to be made today, notes that the visa requirement will be lifted only upon full compliance with all necessary criteria.
