On December 5, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan held a meeting with the United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III.

The meeting commenced with an official welcoming ceremony at the Pentagon, during which the national anthems of Armenia and the United States were performed.

Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan, expressing his gratitude to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III for the warm hospitality, outlined the ongoing reforms within the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia and highlighted the priority areas of cooperation. These areas are aimed at both transforming the RA Armed Forces and enhancing interoperability with the U.S. Armed Forces, which are military education, combat training, joint exercises in preparation for participation in international peacekeeping missions, the development of professional NCO and instructor corps, and the establishment of educational and training capabilities for the RA Armed Forces.

Welcoming the RA Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III emphasized the historic significance of the RA Defense Minister‘s visit.

Issues related to Armenia-US defense cooperation were discussed during the meeting.

Lloyd Austin III affirmed that the United States supports the independence, sovereignty, and prosperity of the Republic of Armenia, highlighting that cooperation between the two countries continues to grow.

Secretary Austin emphasized the United States’ commitment to continue supporting the reforms of the Armenian Armed Forces.

The meeting also addressed international and regional security issues.

Defense Minister Suren Papikyan reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to achieving lasting peace in the region. In turn, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III expressed the United States’ support for this objective.