Armenia and India’s Joint Efforts Aim Beyond Strengthening Defense Capabilities – Papikyan

NEW DELHI — Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, who is on a working visit to India, participated in the “Aero India” exhibition on February 11. As part of the event, he attended the Defense Ministers’ Roundtable on the theme “Building Resilience Through International Defense and Global Engagement.”

In his speech, Minister Papikyan emphasized that Armenia and India’s joint efforts are directed not only toward enhancing their countries’ defense capabilities but also toward ensuring international and regional security, peace, and stability.

The Armenian Defense Minister also presented Armenia’s perspectives on regional security issues, as well as the “Crossroads of Peace” initiative introduced by the Armenian government.

Additionally, Papikyan held a discussion with the Chief of Defense Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, General Anil Chauhan.

Minister Papikyan also held a meeting with the Minister of Defense of India, Rajnath Singh.

The parties commended the current state of bilateral cooperation and explored avenues for further expansion of defense cooperation between Armenia and India.

Additionally, the Ministers exchanged views on regional and international security issues.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to India Vahagn Afyan and the Chairman of the Military-Industrial Committee of the Ministry of High-Tech Industry Aram Jivanyan attended the meeting.

According to “The Times of India,” citing its sources, Armenia, along with the United States and France, became one of the largest importers of Indian defense products in the 2023-2024 financial year.

The publication notes that over the past four years, Armenia has signed multiple agreements with India for the procurement of missiles, artillery, rocket systems, radars, bulletproof vests, night vision devices, as well as a wide range of ammunition and artillery systems.

The Armenian Ministry of Defense has not provided any comments on these military acquisitions.