Surena Papikyan and Lloyd Austin Meet

On December 5, Armenian Minister of Defense Surena Papikyan met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Armenia.

An official welcoming ceremony took place at the Pentagon, with the national anthems of both Armenia and the United States being played.

During the meeting, Minister Surena Papikyan expressed gratitude to Secretary Lloyd Austin for the warm hospitality and provided details on the reforms ongoing within the Armed Forces of Armenia. He highlighted the key areas of cooperation aimed at both transforming the Armed Forces of Armenia and enhancing interoperability with U.S. armed forces including military education, combat training, preparation for participation in international peacekeeping missions, the development of professional sergeant and instructor institutes, and the establishment of training capabilities within the Armenian Armed Forces.

Welcoming Minister Surena Papikyan, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin remarked that the visit of the head of Armenia's defense department is historic. During the meeting, issues related to Armenia-U.S. cooperation in the defense sector were discussed.

Secretary Austin emphasized that the United States supports the independence, sovereignty, and prosperity of the Republic of Armenia, underscoring that cooperation between the two countries continues to expand. Austin conveyed the U.S. readiness to continue supporting reforms in the Armenian Armed Forces.

Discussions also included issues related to international and regional security. Minister Surena Papikyan reaffirmed Armenia's aspiration to achieve lasting peace in the region, to which Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed U.S. support for this objective.