India, Armenia Exploring Long-term Military Cooperation

YEREVAN — India and Armenia are exploring long-term military cooperation as part of their efforts to deepen bilateral relations, a senior Indian official said during a visit to Yerevan on Monday.

Sanjay Verma, a secretary at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, arrived in Armenia to co-chair with Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan 8th session of the Armenian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission, tasked with facilitating closer ties between the two countries sharing common geopolitical interests.

“Comprehensive deepening and development of the relations with India is one of the foreign policy priorities of Armenia”, Mirzoyan said.

“In this regard, it is gratifying to see that India with its vital democracy and dynamic economy is making significant achievements in many fields today, which contributes to the promotion of India’s reputation in the world arena. Armenia also highly appreciates the stabilizing activities of India in these tumultuous global times,” he said.

“On the defense side, we have begun looking at concrete cooperation,” Verma said at the start of the meeting. “We are looking at a long-term relationship in that area.”

In his opening remarks, Mirzoyan likewise listed “defense and military-technical cooperation” among the areas that are “very promising for our countries.”

“The ongoing discussions in these directions will turn into practical agreements and into new opportunities for our governments and businesspeople,” he said.

Mirzoyan and Verma met separately before the session. According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Mirzoyan again praised the Indian government’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and “reaffirmed Armenia’s support for India” in its long-running dispute with Pakistan.

Armenia and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the end of the session on Cooperation in the Fields of Trade, Economy, Technology, Science, Education and Culture.

“The Agreed Minutes of the IGC 8th Session and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the Republic of India regarding Indian Grant Assistance for Implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects were signed at the end of the 8th session of Armenian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation in the Fields of Trade, Economy, Technology, Science, Education and Culture”, the statement says.