Author: Emil Lazarian

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated that the Armenian government will “not take any abrupt actions” in its relationship with Russia.

Speaking at a campaign event for the ruling Civil Contract party in the village of Shnogh in Lori Province, Pashinyan said he has friendly relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that they have held over 200 phone calls since he took office in 2018.

Speaking about ties with Moscow, Pashinyan highlighted close political contacts and frequent high-level communication with Russian leadership. At the same time, he emphasized that although Armenia respects Russia as a major power and values continued dialogue, it cannot place another country’s interests above its own.

“We will not take any abrupt actions in relations with Russia. I have friendly relations with the President of the Russian Federation, in the literal sense of the word. I doubt that since 2018 the President of the Russian Federation has had more contacts with any other leader. During this period, we have had more than 200 phone conversations. We also have very warm, friendly relations with the Russian prime minister. And in general, our attitude towards Russia is very warm. The issue lies elsewhere. Our opposition says: equal-to-equal relations with Russia… dear people, well, let’s not overdo it. Humor is humor, but even humor has its limits… Russia is a superpower, and Russia should be treated with respect and reverence, as superpowers are treated. And I treat it that way—not only Russia, but also the President of Russia and the prime minister of Russia. But I tell them one thing: I say that we have never done anything to harm Russia’s interests, and we will not do so in the future,” Pashinyan said.

He emphasized that the Armenian authorities treat Russia’s interests with the utmost respect.

“But excuse me, we cannot treat Russia’s interests as higher than the interests of the Republic of Armenia. This is a legitimate position, and we are guided by Armenia’s interests, and we will not enter into contradiction, confrontation, or even verbal disputes and debates with our Russian partners. High-level dialogue will continue,” Pashinyan concluded.

In 2027, Armenia will become the country of honor for the “Next Step Studio” initiative within the La Semaine de la Critique (Critics’ Week) program of the 80th Cannes Film Festival, marking an important opportunity for the international promotion of Armenian cinema and the advancement of young filmmakers.

Within the framework of the program, four Armenian and four international directors will collaborate in Armenia to produce four short films, which will later be presented at Cannes, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport said in a statement.

With Armenia named the country in focus at the event, Armenian participants will also have the opportunity to pitch their upcoming feature-length projects to representatives of the international film industry. The initiative is considered an important step toward increasing the international visibility of Armenian cinema, expanding cooperation, and strengthening cultural diplomacy.

The announcement was made during the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, which was attended by Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia Daniel Danielyan.

“Armenia is represented at Cannes with dignity. Following the inclusion of five films by the great master of Armenian cinema Artavazd Peleshyan in the Cannes Classics program, this new announcement carries a deeply symbolic, even historic significance for us,” Danielyan said, emphasizing the unique role of Critics’ Week in world cinema, particularly in nurturing and discovering new talent.

Johannes Luchner, the Deputy Director-General at the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, visited Armenia to present the country’s progress in the implementation of the Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP).

Luchner and Armenia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Arpine Sargsyan—who is the country’s lead negotiator on the EU VLAP—held a joint press conference on Wednesday and emphasized Armenia’s achievements.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Arpine Sargsyan, first expressed her gratitude to the European Commission for its continuous and constructive cooperation with Armenia, emphasizing the positive assessments included in the progress report, which, according to her, are highly significant and create a strong sense of responsibility.

“It is also important that the progress report once again notes Armenia’s political commitment to ensuring the implementation of the action plan.

This process is not only about facilitating the mobility of Armenian citizens; it is about trust, dignified partnership, and establishing closer ties with the European family. I want to state that, on the one hand, this process will provide Armenian citizens with the opportunity for dignified travel; on the other hand, it will create opportunities for the Armenian authorities to ensure long-term institutional changes in Armenia.

I want to state that, thanks to our efforts, we are getting closer to visa liberalization day by day. This is a very important and responsible observation for us. We attach great importance to the fact that the progress report records accelerated progress, especially in such sensitive areas as biometric documents, the biometric system, border management, migration, and asylum issues.

This assessment, in essence, is yet another opportunity to state that Armenia is a predictable, responsible, and trustworthy partner for the European Union,” the minister noted.

Minister Sargsyan emphasized that the VLAP is not simply another process for Armenia. She described it as an important step and highlighted that the inaugural Armenia–EU Summit took place recently, during which highly important agreements were signed.

“As you recall, we had 74 benchmarks in this process, and we have received 53 recommendations from our partners, which are carefully reflected in the report. We are ready to continue implementing all recommendations with the same consistency. I am glad to say that cooperation with Europol has become closer as a result of the appointment of Armenia’s liaison officer, which will further develop our relations. We will make maximum use of all the opportunities that the appointment of the liaison officer will bring.

I would also like to mention that Armenia is now the only country in the world with which the EU is so actively engaged in a visa liberalization dialogue. I would like to reassure you that, as a result of joint work and mutual trust, today we already have the action plan and the first progress report. We will move forward consistently, duly implementing all actions envisaged in the plan within the set timeframes,” Minister Sargsyan said.

She noted that this is the most tangible component for Armenian citizens on the path of EU integration, which will directly affect people’s lives and quality of life, giving citizens of Armenia the opportunity to become more closely acquainted with Europe than ever before.

Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, also stated that relations between the EU and Armenia are closer today than ever. According to him, the European Political Community Summit and the first Armenia–EU Summit are clear evidence of this.

“I want to emphasize that the European Commission, the Armenian authorities, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are taking this process very seriously and are ready to deliver high-level results. Citizens of the Republic of Armenia will soon have the opportunity to obtain biometric passports. A unified population registry will be created, and work is underway to implement a number of other reforms.

I fully understand the impatience of citizens regarding the move toward a full visa-free regime. However, we must acknowledge that significant progress has already been made,” he said.

According to Johannes Luchner, the EU is now issuing more visas and multiple-entry visas to Armenian citizens and is making joint efforts to reduce the number of visa application refusals.

“At the same time, we are working in parallel to ensure more trade and investment. Active work is also being carried out in the fields of research, education, and cultural exchange, and we view visa liberalization as only one component of the broader relationship between the European Union and Armenia,” he concluded.

Armenia received the EU’s first progress report on the visa liberalization action plan on May 5 during the first Armenia–EU Summit in Yerevan.

The number of EU visas issued to Armenian citizens has increased significantly since 2019, Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan has said.

Sargsyan made the remarks during a discussion on Armenia’s first progress report under the EU Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP), alongside Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General at the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission.

Minister Sargsyan is Armenia’s lead negotiator on the VLAP with the EU.

Armenia received its first progress report from the EU on the visa liberalization action plan on May 5 during the first Armenia–EU Summit in Yerevan.

The minister emphasized that not only has the total number of visas issued increased, but also the share of long-term multiple-entry visas. In 2019, 51,000 Schengen visas were issued to Armenian citizens, of which 34.8% were multiple-entry visas. In 2024, the total rose to 86,300, with 43.5% issued as multiple-entry visas. At the same time, the refusal rate remained relatively stable, at 13.2% in 2019 and 12.4% in 2024.

According to Sargsyan, there are still issues related to document completion, appointment availability, and public awareness; however, partner countries are working to improve the capacity of their consular services.

The minister expressed confidence that if the process continues at the current pace, Armenian citizens will in the near future be relieved of complex visa application procedures, as the process is further streamlined.

Addressing the potential timeline for EU visa liberalization, the minister said it is not appropriate to set specific deadlines, as regardless of how well Armenia completes the process, the final decision rests with the European side, which is both logical and standard practice.

At the same time, Sargsyan emphasized that Armenia aims to complete the process properly within 2–3 years of the launch of the dialogue, particularly considering the final stage of introducing the biometric system.

“Let me note that Armenia has recorded higher-than-expected progress in several sensitive areas, including the biometric system, border management, migration, and asylum. EU partners should be confident that the ongoing reforms are based on sustainable and principled approaches,” she said.

The minister also addressed concerns about potential migration risks in the context of EU visa liberalization, stressing that if such concerns were valid, Armenia would not have reached this stage. She noted that 2025 was the first year in which a positive balance between entries and exits of Armenian citizens was recorded, amounting to 8,660 people.

In addition, Armenia continues to effectively implement its obligations under readmission agreements with the EU.

“If in 2016, 7,795 Armenian citizens applied for asylum in EU countries, then in 2024 that number was 5,130, and in 2025 it was 3,535. These figures show that concerns about emigration are not substantiated, and that Armenia has become a more attractive and safer country,” Sargsyan said.

Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General at the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, noted that the process is highly demanding and must be implemented with quality. According to him, at the final stage it will be necessary to convince all 27 EU member states and a majority in the European Parliament that the process is complete and credible.

Deputy Director-General Johannes Luchner emphasized that the introduction of a visa-free regime should be not only fast, but also stable and effective.

“There are difficulties in the visa issuance process in EU countries, but member states are working to increase the capacity of consular services and reduce the number of rejections,” he added.

Three Armenian startup companies are set to travel to Paris to take part in VivaTech 2026, one of Europe’s largest technology and innovation events, according to the European Union Office in Armenia.

Denovo Sciences, TACTUN and MedPair have been selected under the EU4Innovation East programme to represent Armenia at the event.

The EU office said the initiative aims to create new opportunities for innovators across the Eastern Partnership countries, including Armenia, by building stronger links between Armenian talent and European investors, partners and markets.