Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan commented on the months-long delays in applying for Schengen visas, stating that the problem is due to a sharp increase in the number of trips to European Union countries. According to him, the burden on visa centers turned out to be significantly higher than expected by the European side.
He noted that passenger traffic from Armenia to the EU has increased by approximately 580% compared to 2017. If previously it was about a thousand trips, now it is already about 5,800. It was this jump, according to the Prime Minister, that came as a surprise to partners and led to an overload of the application processing system. In this regard, the acceleration of visa liberalization is being discussed, and Armenia, it is claimed, remains the only country with such a format of negotiations.
Pashinyan expressed hope that the result would be achieved as soon as possible, and the issue would be raised at the next Armenia-EU summit. The dialogue on visa liberalization was launched in 2024, and in 2025 the European Commission submitted a plan of 74 points, covering biometric documents, border control, security and human rights protection. Now, according to the authorities, the reforms have already been integrated into the country's internal agenda.
