India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh spoke to NEWS.am during his official visit to Armenia, where he met with Armenian officials and counterparts. Mr. Singh discussed the main focus of his visit, possible new defence agreements, and the prospects for expanding and deepening defence cooperation between India and Armenia.

High-level contacts between Armenia and India have intensified considerably in recent years, alongside the deepening defence partnership. What is the main agenda of your current visit to Armenia?

As you have rightly pointed out, India- Armenia multifaceted partnership has made impressive strides in recent years and our defence relationship has emerged as a strong pillar of this partnership. We attach a lot of importance to this evolving partnership and my visit underscores the desire on both sides to further intensify our engagement in the defense sphere.

You have already held meetings with your Armenian counterparts. Can we expect any new defence supply agreements or contracts to be concluded in the near future?

We are discussing several new proposals including AMC contracts, set of equipment in accordance with the evolving security landscape and this is an ongoing process. India looks at it as a mutually beneficial partnership not merely as a buyer-seller relationship but as a long-term collaboration with emphasis on joint production and R&D, harnessing the existing complementarities on both sides.

India and Armenia have expanded their defence cooperation significantly in recent years. Do you see this partnership evolving from defence procurement towards a broader strategic and industrial partnership, including technology transfer, local production and cooperation in defence research and development?

Indeed the relationship is progressing in that direction. We have signed an agreement between the Ministry of Defence of India and the Ministry of Hi-tech Industry of Armenia. This agreement seeks to harness the untapped potential in defence technology and further develop our cooperation through R&D, joint collaborations, innovation and start-ups. I visited a few Armenian defence companies and there is lot of potential to develop such mutually beneficial cooperation. I also visited the Armenian Military Academy after Vazgen Sargsyan. Our cooperation in training, capacity building and institutional exchanges is also an area of great significance and continued relevance. We are working with Armenia to train future leaders and professionals with emphasis on finding solutions to emerging security challenges and changing global security landscapes. Going beyond doctrines and military training, it acts as a foundation for our future cooperation and building lasting links between our security and defence establishments.

Armenia appears to be emerging as India’s key partner in the South Caucasus. What factors make Armenia an attractive partner for India, both more broadly and specifically in the defence sector?

India-Armenia have a longstanding partnership. India and Armenia established diplomatic relations more than three decades back and next year we will be celebrating 35 years of our relationship. This partnership is based on shared values and understanding of each others concerns and priorities. Armenia has emerged as one of the most important defence partners for India and I am confident that this relationship will continue to grow as we explore further cooperation through joint collaborations, research and innovation in areas of mutual interest.