Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has concluded his two-day visit to Armenia, with India and Armenia agreeing to strengthen cooperation across defence, training, military technology and research.
Singh held meetings with Armenia's Deputy Defence Minister Karen Brutyan and First Deputy Defence Minister and Chief of General Staff Edward Asryan. Discussions covered ongoing defence cooperation, capacity building, training and military technical cooperation.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Rajesh Kumar Singh completed a two-day Armenia visit.
India and Armenia discussed defence, training and military technology.
Joint Services Staff Talks are being institutionalised.
Both countries signed an MoU covering defence collaboration, innovation and research.
Discussions also covered defence R&D and future military-technical cooperation.
During the visit, the two sides exchanged the Terms of Reference for Joint Services Staff Talks, laying the groundwork for regular institutionalised discussions between their armed forces.
India and Armenia also signed an MoU on joint collaboration, innovation and research in the defence sector.
Singh separately met Armenia's Defence Minister Suren Papikyan, with both sides discussing new opportunities to expand military-technical cooperation.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
Armenia has been diversifying its defence partnerships, while India is looking to expand its defence exports and technology cooperation. The latest agreements could therefore create a broader and more structured India-Armenia defence relationship.
The Defence Secretary also met Armenia's Minister of Hi-Tech Industry Davit Tradevosyan and discussed proposals related to defence research and development.
He held talks with Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan as well, focusing on the broader India-Armenia partnership.
The Defence Ministry said the visit highlighted the growing alignment between India and Armenia on bilateral, regional and global issues. Armenia's efforts to diversify its defence procurement have also created greater scope for India to expand its role as a defence technology and military-technical partner.
