Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh concluded a two-day visit to Armenia during which India and the European nation discussed ways to deepen bilateral defence and military-technical cooperation, with a focus on capacity building, training, research and development.
Singh visited Armenia on August 17-18 and held bilateral meetings with Armenian Deputy Defence Minister Karen Brutyan and First Deputy Defence Minister and Chief of General Staff Edward Asryan. The discussions covered the entire gamut of ongoing defence cooperation, particularly capacity building, training, military-technical cooperation and defence R&D.
During the visit, the two sides exchanged the Terms of Reference for institutionalising Joint Services Staff Talks between the Indian and Armenian Armed Forces, marking a step towards strengthening institutionalised military engagement.
Singh also met Armenia’s Minister of Hi-Tech Industry Davit Tradevosyan and discussed proposals related to defence research and development. Coinciding with the visit, the two Defence Ministries concluded and signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at expanding cooperation in joint collaboration, innovation and research.
The Defence Secretary also held talks with Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen India-Armenia defence ties and explored new avenues for enhancing military-technical cooperation.
As part of the visit, Singh visited the Armenian Military Academy named after Vazgen Sargasyan, where he interacted with the academy’s head and faculty members. During his visit to the IT Lab established with Indian assistance, he highlighted the importance of capacity building and training as key pillars of the bilateral defence partnership.
Singh also met Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan in Yerevan. Their discussions focused on the expanding defence partnership between the two countries. The Ministry of Defence said that as Armenia seeks to diversify its defence procurement, India has emerged as a major partner in military-technical cooperation.
The two countries also share similar perspectives on multilateralism and strategic autonomy, according to the ministry.
The visit highlighted the growing convergence between India and Armenia on bilateral, regional and global issues and reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to take their already robust defence partnership to a higher level.
