Armenia should be more and more attractive for its citizens, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during the joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, referring to the issue of visa liberalization.

“We have discussed also the issue of visa facilitation. In this sense it’s very important that Armenia becomes more and more attractive for its own citizens. I am glad to record that for the first time during years the number of the citizens returning to Armenia in 2018 was much more than the number of those who left the country. We have to implement institutional reforms in our country so that Armenia is not viewed as a country supplying refugees”, PM Pashinyan said. He emphasized that the developments of this year show that Armenia moves in that direction and moves confidently.

“Of course I hope we will create more favorable conditions for recording success in visa liberalization with the EU, and I think it’s time for us to think about starting negotiation on that issue”, Pashinyan said.

The Government of Armenia must be able to effectively implement the reform agenda, therefore, the ball is in the field of the Government of Armenia, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said.

“The ball is in the field of the Government of Armenia. The recent visit of Commissioner Johannes Hahn clearly answered the question of increasing the EU assistance to Armenia. The EU representatives have already informed that they are ready to expand the assistance to Armenia”, Pashinyan said, adding that it’s obvious that good relations between Armenia and the EU, as well as Armenia and the EU Member States have been established.
Pashinyan noted that important democratic developments are taking place in Armenia. According to him, there are no doubts that those developments will continue.

Nikol Pashinyan noted that Armenia has open relations with the EAEU and EU partners.

“We must be able to effectively implement our reform agenda, with the confidence that we will receive assistance both from our EU partners and EAEU partners”, Pashinyan added.

To the question if Berlin plans to increase assistance to Armenia, Angela Merkel answered, “We already support Armenia. The EU has already expressed its support through Commissioner Hahn. Armenia, as an independent country, decides on its own with which country to work. And we already have an agreement, I am about the agreement with the EU, by which Armenia can develop relations with Germany and the EU”.