Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan told members of parliament on Monday that the visa liberalization process with the EU is proceeding at a fast pace for Armenia.

MP Armen Gevorgyan, representing the Armenia faction, asked the deputy foreign minister at the parliamentary committee on European integration affairs whether there is a timeframe for the completion of the process, given the broad public interest in the matter.

“It is currently impossible to specify an exact timeline for visa liberalization. We received the action plan last November, and I believe the first progress report will be published within the next one to two months,” Kostanyan said.

He added that the process is proceeding relatively quickly for Armenia compared to other countries. The deputy minister also emphasized that Armenia is currently the only country with which the European Union is conducting a visa liberalization dialogue.

Kostanyan also outlined the main areas in which Armenia needs to implement reforms: migration policy, protection of human rights, and the introduction of an integrated border control system.

Referring to the Schengen visa issuance process, he noted that in recent years the number of applications has increased significantly—by approximately 400 percent—which has also affected service delivery.

“In the past few months, we have seen at least a somewhat positive trend from various European embassies, which have increased their consular staff,” he said.

Kostanyan added that efforts are underway to extend visa issuance periods so that citizens are not forced to apply for a new visa frequently. According to him, some countries have already begun issuing visas with longer validity periods.

“The next area we are working on to simplify this process is the opening of consular sections within the embassies of European Union member states in Armenia. There are countries that have diplomatic representation in Armenia but do not provide consular services.

The latest development is that the Belgian embassy has decided to open a consular section, which will also help alleviate the existing workload to some extent,” Kostanyan concluded.

The Global Mentoring Walk Armenia took place for the first time in Yerevan, bringing together accomplished professionals from diverse sectors and purpose-driven young people. Organized for 19 years across 60 countries in celebration of International Women’s Day, this global initiative originated in the United States as a platform for sharing leadership experience.

According to Armenpress, the initiative was introduced to Armenia by Hayasa Tahmazyan, a member of the Vital Voices Global Leadership Network and a social impact innovator.

“The goal of the event is to cultivate a culture of mentorship and to promote the transfer of experience and wisdom across generations in Armenia. We recognize that leadership is also a social responsibility that involves creating opportunities and sharing accumulated knowledge and expertise with those who are on their professional growth journey,” said Hayasa Tahmazyan.

The Armenian edition brought together 18 accomplished mentors who walked and shared their experience with 36 mentees.

“Today’s gathering was highly symbolic, taking place on the day of spring renewal. It is truly remarkable how new connections can create new forms of unity and collaboration. I am very glad to have been part of this initiative. Mentorship is a practice for transferring experience and knowledge that is as old and as traditional as humanity itself. I hope this practice of connection and trust-building will expand across society,” said mentor Marina Mkhitaryan, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Impact at Armenia Tree Project.

The official program began at the Cinema House in Yerevan, from where participants embarked on a mentoring walk to the Cafesjian Sculpture Garden.

“I really appreciated how this format was launched. As someone who values continuous education, the exchange of experience, and leadership development, I decided to participate. I am grateful to our mentor for the open conversation, as well as for sharing an inspiring personal story and perspectives,” said mentee Tigran Minasyan, who has a background in engineering.

Throughout the walk, mentors and mentees engaged in open and honest discussions about career development, making difficult decisions, and the real costs of leadership.

The mentors of the first Global Mentoring Walk Armenia included: Nazik Avdalyan, World and European Weightlifting Champion and Founder and Executive Director of the Nazik Avdalyan Sports Development Foundation; Degan Valentine, Country Director for American Councils for International Education in Armenia; Marina Mkhitaryan, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Impact at Armenia Tree Project; Serob Khachatryan, education expert; Narine Tadevosyan, management and business development consultant; Sophy Nersisyan, specialist in humanitarian and development program management; Elena Alina Popescu, World Champion in Athletics; Narine Nazaryan, Director of Armenpress News Agency; Tatevik Simonyan, Co-founder of SPRING PR and Founder of Doing Digital Forum; Karine Sarkissian, Chief Executive Officer of the ZINAPAH National Foundation for Servicemen Insurance; Hasmik Movsisian, Founder of the Women of Armenia Network; Lika Mkrtchyan, communication and management specialist; Vahe Arzumanyan, Founder and President of the “White Cane” NGO; Elen Jaghinyan, Partner and Director at Premium Consultant; Gayane Mkrtchyan, Program Director at Eurasia Partnership Foundation; Marianna Khababyan, Founder and CEO of Incub Marketing LLC; Armine Haroyan, Executive Director of the Armenian Educational Foundation in Armenia; and Nver Sargsyan, international development and human rights specialist.

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan met with his Georgian counterpart, Mikheil Kavelashvili, during his visit to the neighboring country to attend the funeral of Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, who passed away last week at the age of 93, the President’s Office said in a press release.

President Khachaturyan expressed his condolences on the passing of the Catholicos-Patriarch.

President Kavelashvili thanked the Armenian President for his visit and for attending the funeral of the Georgian patriarch.

During the meeting, the presidents also discussed the agenda of bilateral relations and regional developments, according to the President’s Office.

In Brussels, Armenia is seen as a democratic partner, and it is important that the Armenian government’s decisions to deepen relations with the European Union are upheld.

Alberto Turkstra, director of the Brussels-based analytical and public relations project “Diplomatic World,” expressed this opinion in an interview with Armenpress, assessing the current level of Armenia–European Union relations and Yerevan’s European prospects.

The Belgian expert noted that Brussels has positively received Yerevan’s policy aimed at deepening relations with the European Union.

“Brussels has received this new direction of Armenia quite positively, in terms of closer rapprochement with the European Union. This is generally in the same logic as what we have seen in the case of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. At the moment, the conditions also seem quite favorable,” the expert emphasized.

He recalled that the European Union also tried to play the role of mediator in the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, when European Council President Charles Michel hosted Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels several times.

“These meetings, unfortunately, did not yield the expected results. Ultimately, some progress was made with the involvement of the United States, with the Washington Agreement of August 8, 2025. Nevertheless, I believe that this is an important step towards lasting regional peace after more than 30 years of conflict. This also stems from the interests of the European Union,” Turkstra said.

The expert reiterated that in Brussels, Armenia is regarded as a democratic partner, and promoting democracy remains one of the key directions of the EU’s foreign policy.

“On the other hand, there are also interesting opportunities related to economic and regional ties. For example,  Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace”  project coincides quite well with the European Union’s “Global Gateway” initiative and the development of the so-called Middle Corridor,” he said.

According to the expert, much still needs to be clarified, particularly in terms of investments and specific programs.

He added that, overall, EU–Armenia relations are currently in a rather active phase.

“Contacts are at a high level.  The first summit at the level of Armenia–EU leaders will be held in Yerevan this year. In addition, Armenia will host a meeting of the European Political Community, which is also an important event. It should also be noted that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, visits Brussels quite often, which also shows the intensity of relations,” Turkstra said.

Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia Armen Ghazaryan participated in the 5th meeting of the Armenia–EU Parliamentary Partnership Committee on March 19.

Issues related to the new Armenia–EU partnership agenda were discussed, the ministry said in a press release.

Reference was made to progress in the visa liberalization process, including ongoing efforts toward the issuance of short-term visas, as well as infrastructure projects.

Armen Ghazaryan presented the main stages of the visa liberalization process—from the launch of the dialogue to the receipt of the Action Plan and the practical steps being taken for its implementation. In particular, he touched upon the content of the Action Plan provided to the Armenian side, highlighting the established benchmarks and the legislative and institutional reforms being carried out to meet them.

The importance of programs implemented in a public-private partnership format to enhance document security was emphasized, along with the development of migration and integrated border management strategies, as well as the digitalization of the asylum system.

In the context of reforms in the law enforcement sector, Armen Ghazaryan noted that the ongoing changes are aimed not only at restructuring the system but also at introducing modern standards in police operations.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has adopted a systematic approach to the effective implementation of the visa liberalization Action Plan, Deputy Minister Armen Ghazaryan emphasized.