“The visit marks an important step in taking forward shared strategic interests and enhancing long-term defense and security collaboration between the two Nations,” the Defense Staff wrote on X before Chauhan’s separate talks with Defense Minister Suren Papikian and Lieutenant-General Eduard Asrian, the chief of the Armenian army’s General Staff.
The Armenian Defense Ministry gave few details of the talks which it said touched upon bilateral ties and “a number of issues of regional and international security.”
“General Chauhan expressed the readiness of the Indian Armed Forces to continue developing cooperation in existing areas and to initiate new areas of mutual interest,” it said in a statement on his meeting with Papikian.
A separate ministry statement said Chauhan and Asrian “emphasized the importance of holding educational, professional training, military exercises and experience exchange events in various fields in Armenia and India.” It cited Asrian as saying that military ties with India are important for the ongoing “transformation” of the Armenian Armed Forces.
India has been one of Armenia’s leading arms suppliers since the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh war during which its arch-foe Pakistan strongly supported Azerbaijan. Their multimillion-dollar defense contracts reportedly call for the delivery of Indian surface-to-air missiles, multiple-launch rocket systems, howitzers, and anti-drone equipment to the Armenian army. According to Indian media reports, the total volume of those contracts reached $600 million by the end of 2023.
The official Armenian readouts of the talks did not say whether Chauhan discussed more arms deals with Yerevan. Papikian told reporters on January 13 that Armenia will continue to buy weapons and other military equipment despite reaching peace agreements with Azerbaijan.
Russia had long been Armenia’s principal supplier of weapons and ammunition. The Armenian government has been looking for alternative sources of weaponry due to its growing tensions with Moscow and the continuing war in Ukraine that absorbs the bulk of military hardware manufactured in Russia. Since October 2023, Yerevan has also signed a number of arms deals with French companies.