Suren Papikyan held a meeting with the Minister of Defence of India

On February 11 on the sidelines of his working visit to India, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan held a meeting with the Minister of Defence of India, Rajnath Singh. Both parties expressed their satisfaction with the current state of bilateral cooperation and explored avenues for further expanding defence cooperation between Armenia and India. Additionally, the Ministers exchanged views on regional and international security issues. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to India Vahagn Afyan and the Chairman of the Military-Industrial Committee of the Ministry of High-Tech Industry Aram Jivanyan also attended the meeting.

Suren Papikyan participated in the Defence Ministers’ Conclave

On February 11, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan who is on a working visit to India, participated in the Defence Ministers’ Conclave on the theme “BRIDGE- Building Resilience through International Defence and Global Engagement,” held on the sidelines of Aero India exhibition, and delivered a speech. In his address, Minister Papikyan welcomed the participants of the Conclave and expressed gratitude to the Indian side for their warm hospitality. He emphasized that the joint efforts of Armenia and India are directed not only at strengthening their national defence capabilities but also at promoting international and regional security, peace, and stability. The Head of the Defence Agency also outlined Armenia’s perspectives on regional security issues and presented the “Crossroads of Peace” project developed by the RA Government.

The group photo of the Defence Ministers participating in the Defence Ministers’ Conclave.

Suren Papikyan held a brief discussion with the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces

The Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan held a brief discussion with the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, General Anil Chauhan during the Conclave of Defence Ministers, held as part of the Aero India exhibition.

Suren Papikyan participated in the grand opening ceremony of the “Aero India” exhibition

On February 10 as part of his working visit to India, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan participated in the grand opening ceremony of the “Aero India” exhibition at the Indian Air Force Base “Yelahanka.” Minister of Defence Suren Papikyan toured the exhibition pavilions and familiarized himself with the showcased exhibits.

The delegation led by the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia left for the Republic of India

On February 8, the delegation led by the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan left for the Republic of India on a working visit.

Suren Papikyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to the Republic of Armenia

On February 3, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to the Republic of Armenia, Alessandro Ferranti. The Defence Minister congratulated Ambassador Ferranti on his appointment and wished him success in advancing cooperation between Armenia and Italy. During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of bilateral defence cooperation, as well as issues related to regional and international security.

Suren Papikyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Republic of Armenia

On January 24, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Republic of Armenia Eric de Muynck along with the newly appointed Defence Attaché, Colonel Marc Lefebvre (with residence in Moscow). The Head of the Defence Agency congratulated Colonel Lefebvre on assuming his duties in Armenia and wished him success in his mission. During the meeting, the parties discussed topics related to Armenia-Belgium cooperation in the defence sector, as well as issues concerning regional and international security.

Lieutenant General Edward Asryan conducted a series of bilateral meetings at NATO Headquarters

The First Deputy Minister of Defence- Chief of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Edward Asryan, conducted a series of bilateral meetings at NATO Headquarters in Brussels during his working visit. He met with the Chiefs of Defence Staffs of Greece and Georgia and held private discussions with the Chiefs of Defence Staffs of France and Sweden. During these meetings, the high level of bilateral cooperation in the defence sector was reaffirmed with his Greek and French counterparts. Lieutenant General Asryan expressed his deep appreciation for the significant contributions of Athens and Paris to the ongoing efforts to transform and modernize the Armenian Armed Forces. Discussions with the Georgian Chief of Defence focused on practical steps to enhance bilateral cooperation, particularly through the exchange of advanced transformation experiences. Additionally, potential avenues for establishing bilateral defence relations were explored with the Swedish representative.

Suren Papikyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to Armenia

On January 16, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to Armenia, Ms. Nilakshi Saha Sinha, accompanied by newly appointed Defence Attaché to Armenia, Air Force Group Captain Manish Tolani, and the outgoing Defence Attaché, Brigadier General Naveen Nijhawan. Minister Papikyan extended his congratulations to Group Captain Tolani on his appointment, wishing him success in his mission and highlighting the significance of having an Indian Defence Attaché with residence in Yerevan for the first time. The meeting focused on discussions concerning defence cooperation between Armenia and India, as well as regional and international security issues. Minister Papikyan expressed his gratitude to Brigadier General Naveen Nijhawan for his valuable contributions to the enhancement of defence cooperation between the two nations. The Minister awarded Brigadier General Nijhawan the Medal for Military Cooperation at the conclusion of the meeting.

Chief of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces Leads Delegation to NATO Military Committee Conference

From January 15-17, the delegation led by the First Deputy Minister of Defence-Chief of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Edward Asryan is undertaking a working visit to Brussels to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee Conference in the format of the Chiefs of Defence Staffs of NATO member and partner states. The conference aims to enhance understanding of current global and regional threats and challenges and to develop collective solutions to address them. Discussions focus on issues such as climate change, widespread instability, emerging and disruptive technologies, the resilience of critical life-support infrastructures in the face of hybrid and cyber threats, and the involvement of partner states in NATO-led operations and missions.

The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan has once again disseminated disinformation

The statement issued by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence, claiming that on January 6, at approximately 2:10 p.m., units of the Armenian Armed Forces discharged fire at Azerbaijani combat positions in the southeastern part of the border, does not correspond to reality. It is important to note that the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia has proposed the establishment of a joint Armenian-Azerbaijani mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations and related incidents. However, Azerbaijan has yet to respond to this proposal.