EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said on Thursday in Yerevan that Armenia and the European Union have been making steady progress towards visa liberalisation since the launch of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).

He noted that Armenia is currently the only country in the world with which the EU has a visa liberalisation dialogue, calling it an impressive development that demonstrates the priority given to strengthening EU-Armenia ties.

Brunner said the sides have been moving forward at a steady pace since the opening of the Action Plan last year and have taken additional constructive steps.

According to him, both sides expressed political will to implement the plan. He said Armenian authorities are responding to the first benchmarks outlined in the roadmap, including in the areas of document security and migration management.

Brunner noted that biometric passports and new identification cards will soon become available to Armenians, describing them as a prerequisite for visa-free travel within the EU. He added that the country continues to advance other reforms, many of which are already underway.

He said the EU would support Armenia at every stage of the process and noted that Frontex is ready to assist the Armenian Border Guard Service.

Brunner expressed gratitude to the Armenian authorities for their commitment, saying the progress would not have been possible without it.

He also referred to technical assistance provided by several countries, including Lithuania, Finland, Latvia and Sweden, saying this demonstrates the willingness at all levels to bring Armenia closer to the EU.

At the same time, Brunner said further work is still needed and there is always room for improvement.

He added that the EU aims to see a large number of high-quality applications for Schengen visas, stressing that the quality of applications is important.

Brunner said that there are currently backlogs in visa processing, with some applicants waiting longer and some consulates in Yerevan taking too much time to process applications.

He said the EU takes the issue seriously and is working to improve the situation, adding that improvements are already becoming visible.