Everything Started From This: Indian Website on Armenia-India Strategic Cooperation

The Indian website India Narrative has published a comprehensive article on the visit of Armenia's Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan to India. According to Armenpress, the site reports that the defense cooperation between Armenia and India is expected to thrive after a high-level delegation from Armenia visited India and participated in the DEFEXPO exhibition held in Gandhinagar.

During his meeting with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Papikyan focused on exploring opportunities to expand bilateral military and military-technical cooperation. The article notes that Papikyan and his delegation dedicated a significant amount of time to studying the samples showcased at Asia's largest defense event.

This important visit took place against the backdrop of the recent military escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The website states that India has maintained a consistent position regarding the situation in the Caucasus region, calling for the conflict to be resolved peacefully and diplomatically since the very beginning of hostilities.

India Narrative quoted Armenia's Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan’s remarks after his meeting with his Indian counterpart: “I presented the situation created as a result of Azerbaijan's recent aggression and expressed gratitude to India for its clear position in international platforms. I also invited my counterpart to make an official visit to Armenia.”

Furthermore, the website adds, “Since Turkey and Pakistan fully support Azerbaijan, Yerevan seeks to establish a strong strategic partnership with New Delhi. Everything started from the point when India supplied Armenia with 4 Swathi radars for munitions detection worth a total of $40 million in 2020. Since then, the Armenian government, led by Nikol Pashinyan, has shown great interest in acquiring India's latest military technology, particularly the Pinaka long-range missile systems, ATGM anti-tank guided missiles, and Akash surface-to-air missile systems.”

Finally, the Indian outlet notes that a recent agreement has been reported between the parties for arms supplies worth $250 million, highlighting that the centuries-old ties between Armenia and India are strengthening their cooperation.