1 / 4

On November 4 the RA NA Standing Committees on Foreign Relations and European Integration organized joint public hearings on “The impact of the Visa Facilitation Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and European Union” and on “Protocol of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and Their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Armenia on general principles for the participation of the Republic of Armenia in Union programmes” within the context of development of the RA-EU relations. The public hearing was held by the support of Friedrich Ebert Fund. NA deputies, members of the Government, representatives from the international organizations and NGOs and Yerevan State University and experts were taking part in the public hearings.

Opening the public hearings, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committees on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan noted that the parliament had debated the presented agreements and in the upcoming four-day sittings their voting was designed by the law “On the NA Rules of Procedure”. Mr Zakaryan said that the goal of the hearing was to make aware the community through specialized debates what would mean the agreements in the context of Armenia-EU relations, what they would give to our citizens, state and private organizations. The Committee Chairman also highlighted these discussions within the framework of Armenia’s decision of joining the Customs Union and cooperation with the EU. He expressed hope that during the hearing as a result of joint discussions with the specialists of the sphere it would be possible to get clarifications on the problematic issues.

The Chair of the NA Standing Committees on European Integration Naira Zohrabyan in her opening speech noted that the agreements pertaining to the visa facilitation and readmission of the persons residing without permission between the RA and the EU needed additional clarification. Ms Zohrabyan highlighted the conducting of the public hearings in terms of resuming the dialogue with the EU and getting clarifications on a number of items by the specialists of the sphere.

The Head of the Department of Europe of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs Armen Liloyan in his report noted that the issue of visa facilitation had been at the centre of the community’s attention, as for the contacts had been added with the European countries and it was needed to touch upon this problem to create easy opportunities for the citizens of Armenia to travel to European different countries.

The Deputy Chairman of the NA Standing Committee of Foreign Relations Alexander Arzoumanian noted that the deputies had highlighted the adoption of the documents during the discussion of the agreements at the Head Committee and plenary sitting.

The member of the NA Standing Committees on European Integration Naira Karapetyan noted that the goal of the EU visa policy was to reach a decent balance between the inner security and external stability.

The President of the Analytical Centre on Globalisation and Regional Cooperation Stepan Grigoryan in his speech highlighted the ratification of the agreements and the awareness of the public.

To the conviction of the Advisor on Migration of the EU Advisor Group to Armenia Eleonora Vergeer the visa facilitation would promote the activation of contacts between the people. She has noted that the readmission is an instrument of fighting against illegal migration. Mrs Vergeer touched upon the problems pertaining to the role of the consular services of the EU Schengen zone countries in the process of the implementation of the Visa Facilitation Agreement.

The key reporters answered the hearings participants’ questions, which were mainly relating to the problems concerning the RA citizens’ re-integration after the ratification of the readmission agreement, the decrease of the demanding documents for the entry visa to EU territory and the importance of providing free visa for some groups and the priorities of the RA foreign policy.

Summing up the hearing the Chair of the NA Standing Committees on European Integration Naira Zohrabyan and the Chairman of the NA Standing Committees on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan thanked the hearings participants for concerning discussions. To their assessment, during the hearings it became clear that the different political forces represented in the NA agree over the importance of the agreements in boosting Armenia-EU relations.