1 / 6

The experience shows that similar agreements boost laying more constructive basis for the dialogue of visa liberalisation between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union. This allows underlining the readiness of the Republic of Armenia to receive the persons, who irregularly have settled in different countries of the European Union: The RA Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan said this during the sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations on January 10.

The Committee debated the draft law on Ratification of the Protocol on Application of the Agreement on the readmission of the persons residing without authorisation between the RA and the EU between the RA Government and the Federal Government of Austria.

“Practically, we have had the procedures characteristic to the International Treaty: There is positive position by the Ministries of Justice and Finance. The obligations designed by the Agreement, by the decision of the Constitutional Court comply with the RA Constitution,” the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs informed.

The RA Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs informed that before Armenia has had bilateral readmission Agreements with the EU member different states, but those documents do not act, and the states have obligation to sign bilateral separate readmission agreements stemming from the readmission Agreement. She underlined that the abovementioned Agreement is one of them.

In response to the MPs’ questions, Arpine Sargsyan clarified that similar Agreements are not considered to be compulsion of the EU side to carry out some process, but an example of mutually agreed readiness aimed at regulation of other bilateral relations. “This allows assuring that Armenia is ready to receive the citizens, who reside in the EU member countries not only on legal bases, but on the contrary, the identity is not clarified, have no passports or have appeared in the EU member states with false documents,” the Deputy Minister mentioned.

As the co-rapporteur Hripsime Grigoryan assessed, the Agreement calls on the sides to sign protocols of bilateral use and to ratify them. The process becomes more regulated by those documents. The MP informed that all necessary documents, the conclusions and decisions from responsible institutions are available.

The Committee endorsed the draft law.