Armenia, India Discuss Expansion of Defense Cooperation

NEW DELHI — India’s and Armenia’s top generals discussed growing military ties between their countries during talks held in New Delhi over the weekend.

Major-General Eduard Asryan, the chief of the Armenian army’s General Staff, met with General Anil Chauhan, the chief of the Indian Defense Staff, as he and other senior Armenian officials visited India to attend an annual conference on global security.

In a Twitter post, the Indian military headquarters said Asryan and Chauhan discussed “identifying areas to augment defense cooperation, including opportunities to leverage indigenous defense manufacturing industry.”

The Armenian Defense Ministry said, for its part, that they looked at the “possibilities of expanding defense cooperation between India and Armenia.”

The two nations have stepped up that cooperation since the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war in Nagorno-Karabakh during which India’s arch-foe Pakistan strongly supported Azerbaijan. Last September, the Armenian military reportedly signed contracts for the purchase of $245 million worth of Indian multiple-launch rocket systems, anti-tank rockets and ammunition.

Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan explored more such deals during a subsequent visit to India. Indian media reported during Papikyan’s trip that Yerevan is interested in acquiring air-defense systems and combat drones manufactured by Indian companies.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said Asryan presented “security challenges” facing Armenia during a roundtable discussion on Indian-Armenian relations organized by India’s National Security Council.

New Delhi has effectively sided Armenia with in its ongoing border disputes with Azerbaijan. It has also expressed serious concern over the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin corridor.