Yerevan [Armenia], February 2 (ANI): An Indian defence delegation led by Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan has arrived in Armenia on a four-day official visit aimed at advancing bilateral defence engagement and strengthening long-term security cooperation between the two countries.
Sharing details of the visit on X, the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff said the delegation reached the Republic of Armenia on February 1. The post described the visit as an important step toward advancing shared strategic interests and enhancing long-term defence and security collaboration between the two nations. The delegation was received in Yerevan by Nilakshi Saha Sinha, India’s Ambassador to Armenia, and Temur Shahnazaryan, Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.
The visit is part of a series of ongoing defence engagements between India and Armenia, including the Joint Working Group Meeting on Defence Cooperation held in Hyderabad, Telangana, on October 23, 2025. During that meeting, both sides exchanged views on strengthening bilateral defence ties.
Providing details of the Hyderabad meeting, the Ministry of Defence said that discussions focused on bilateral defence cooperation and defence industrial collaboration, along with other issues of mutual interest in the security domain. The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (IC) Vishwesh Negi, while the Armenian delegation was headed by Levon Ayvazyan, Head of the Policy and International Military Cooperation Department at Armenia’s Ministry of Defence.
Beyond defence cooperation, these engagements form part of broader diplomatic outreach between the two nations. This was reflected in Secretary (West) Sibi George representing India at Armenia’s National Day celebrations on October 1, where he reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to the longstanding India-Armenia friendship.
The Ministry of External Affairs shared details of the event on X, noting that ties between India and Armenia are rooted in history and have been reinforced through recent high-level engagements between the leadership of both countries.
The diplomatic momentum was also evident earlier in June, when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Marseille. The two leaders held what was described as a useful discussion on close cooperation and regional developments.
Further strengthening institutional ties, India and Armenia signed two key Memoranda of Understanding on March 11 during Mirzoyan’s visit to India. These included an agreement between India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and Armenia’s Center of Drug and Medical Technology Expertise to cooperate on the regulation of medical products.
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