Mirzoyan: Military cooperation with India not aimed against third countries

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has stated that Yerevan is highly interested in India-made military equipment, emphasizing its importance for Armenia’s defense reforms. He added that these reforms are not directed against any third country. Mirzoyan made these remarks in an interview with the Indian news outlet Wion.

He noted that Armenia-India defense cooperation has significantly deepened in recent years, making India one of Armenia’s main arms suppliers, Factor.am reports.

"Defense is one of the areas where we have very close cooperation with India. And I assume that this cooperation will continue to expand. But I want to stress that this collaboration, particularly Armenia’s purchase of specific equipment from India, is not intended for use against any third party," Mirzoyan emphasized.

Addressing Azerbaijan’s reaction to Armenian-Indian military cooperation, Mirzoyan reaffirmed that Armenia’s sole aim is to strengthen its own defense capabilities.

"I have already addressed this issue. Armenia’s intention is solely to modernize its defense capabilities, including its entire defense system. The goal of acquiring equipment from India is to equip our army with better defensive capabilities. Armenia has no intention of taking action against any third country," he stated.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, during a press conference in Astana following talks with Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu, once again criticized Armenia’s Constitution and armament, calling them the "biggest obstacles to the peace process."

He emphasized that Kazakhstan’s role in facilitating negotiations in May 2024 highlights the country’s commitment to the peace process, Azertag reports.

"Despite significant steps toward normalizing interstate relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and signing a final peace agreement, I want to reiterate that Armenia’s Constitution, which contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan, its rapid armament, and revanchist aspirations remain the biggest obstacles to the peace process," Bayramov said.

Earlier reports indicated that Armenia has become the largest buyer of Indian weapons, according to an economic report presented to India’s parliament by the Ministry of Finance. Data from India’s Ministry of Defense shows that Armenia’s arms purchases from India have reached $600 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal years.