Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, at a press conference today, announced that an agreement has been reached with the European Union to start visa liberalization talks.   

Pashinyan pointed to the fact that the number of Armenian citizens seeking asylum in European Union countries has decreased by more than 60% in recent years, describing it as a positive factor in facilitating an agreement.

The implication is that an easing of visa restriction would not lead to more Armenian citizens travelling to Europe, overstaying their visas, and applying for asylum.

"We must understand that migration in the European Union is the most acute political problem today. There are countries where this problem is particularly acute. We have a problem with the fact that in the past the results of visa liberalization agreements have caused great problems in several European countries. And this is a very delicate topic for Armenia-EU relations. We must move forward step by step, realizing that there are big problems,” Pashinyan said.