Deputy PM Armen Gevorgyan hosted IOM Regional Director for Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Ms. Renate Held.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, the European Commission (EC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) convened today a high-level conference on the Mobility Partnerships with the European Union. The conference aimed at addressing the implementation of such partnerships with the Eastern Partner countries and the launch of the EU-Armenia Mobility Partnership signed in October 2011. 

During the event detailed information was provided to the Armenian Government institutions and civil society about Mobility Partnerships, which are an important tool of the EU's Global Approach to Migration and Mobility. Representatives of the Moldovan and Georgian Governments, and IOM Missions in Moldova and Georgia presented best practices and lessons learnt from the implementation of similar Mobility Partnerships in Moldova and Georgia respectively. The conference also involved the representatives of Armenia, EU Member States and the European Commission in an active discussion on the expectations and perspectives for Armenia and the EU after the recently signed EU-Armenia Mobility Partnership. 

Mr. Zohrab Mnatsakanian, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, welcomed the initiative of the conference as an instrumental convention for discussing the practical sides of implementation of the MP. 

IOM Regional Director for Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Ms. Renate Held appreciated the opportunity for IOM to assist in implementation of the EU's Mobility Partnerships in ENP region and reconfirmed IOM's readiness to continue this technical assistance with regard to migration management reforms in Armenia, including all migration-related aspects of the cooperation with the EU. 

Mr. Onno Simons, Acting Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia said that the launch of the Mobility Partnership with Armenia confirms the EU's commitment to continue actively cooperating on the issue of well-managed and secure mobility. The EU-Armenia Mobility Partnership Declaration was signed in Luxembourg on 27 October 2011. Ten EU Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden) are participating. The Mobility Partnership is expected to enhance Armenia’s ability to manage migration and inform, integrate and protect migrants and returnees, as well as boost Armenia's capacity to curb irregular migration and human trafficking. The Joint Declaration identifies four areas for increased dialogue and cooperation under the headings of: (a) mobility, legal migration and integration; (b) migration and development; (c) fight against irregular immigration and trafficking in human beings, readmission, security of identity and travel documents, border management; and (d) asylum and international protection. 

Mobility partnerships are flexible and non-legally binding frameworks for well-managed movements of people between the EU and a third country. Their goal is to ensure, through dialogue and practical cooperation, that there is a responsible and joint management of migratory flows that protect the interests of the Union, of its partners and of the migrants themselves. They are part of the process of implementing the global approach to migration developed by the EU over the last few years.