India and Armenia bilateral relations continued on their upward trajectory marked by consolidation. Ambassador 

On the occasion of the 77th Republic Day of India, the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Armenia delivered an address at the Republic Day Reception hosted at the Armenia Marriott Hotel, Yerevan, on 26 January 2026. The event was attended by senior representatives of the Government of Armenia, members of Parliament, the diplomatic corps, Armenian friends of India, and members of the Indian community. In the speech, the Ambassador highlighted the significance of India’s Republic Day and reflected on the growing friendship and cooperation between India and Armenia.

“Namaskar! 

• H. E. Mr. Mher Grigoryan, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, 

• Ministers and Deputy Ministers, 

• Members of Parliament and Officials, 

• Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Armenian Friends of India, 

• Members of the Indian community, Tiknaik yev Paronaik!

Bari yereko! Good evening! A very warm welcome to you all on this wintry evening to our 77th Republic Day celebrations! While the Constituent Assembly made up of our Founding Fathers “adopted, enacted and gave to ourselves” the Indian Constitution on 26th November 1949, the 26th of January 1950 was chosen as the date on which it would come into force and India became a Republic from that date onwards. Therefore, every year, we celebrate our Constitution Day on the 26th of November and Republic Day on the 26th of January.   

2. 2025 has been, in many senses, a momentous year for us. Following the heinous Pahalgam terrorist attack on 22nd April, India retaliated decisively against Pakistan in a short-duration, high-intensity kinetic action which saw 9 terror camps destroyed, a large number of military targets including several airbases considerably damaged across the length and breadth of our neighbouring country. Operation Sindoor highlighted India’s strategic posture against cross-border terrorism through a well-calibrated, non-escalatory kinetic action. It was a watershed moment in India's military history, showcasing full tri-services synergy, strategic deterrence and operational maturity of India’s indigenous defence capabilities.  
3. Despite global headwinds, our growth rate is projected to be 7.3% this year, thereby maintaining India as the fastest growing major economy. From the fourth largest economy in the world, we are poised to become the third largest by 2028 or even earlier. The growth has not just been about numbers but very inclusive growth based on massive public investments in physical, digital and social infrastructure; focus on manufacturing and innovation and simplification of laws and compliances. And all this has been technology driven. Today, India accounts for more than 50% of all real-time digital transactions in the world. The growth has also been a green one – 2025 marks the highest-ever renewable energy expansion with 44.5 GW of renewable energy capacity added. It was the year of sweeping reforms across various sectors, notably in taxation and labour. It was the year during which India formally entered semiconductor manufacturing, moving beyond design and assembly into actual chip fabrication and packaging with a USD 30 billion initiative. 
4. India is hosting the AI Impact Summit next month from 19-20 February. We are expecting a very high-level delegation from Armenia. For us, AI stands for All-inclusive, based on the principles of Equitable Access, Population Scale, Skilling and Responsible Deployment.  

 Excellencies, Friends,  

5. India and Armenia bilateral relations continued on their upward trajectory marked by consolidation and diversification. Several Ministerial visits took place during the year including those of the Foreign Minister, Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan; Defence Minister, Mr. Suren Papikyan and Economy Minister, Mr. Gevorg Papoyan. The comprehensive bilateral political consultations took place in November 2025. Our defence ties, encompassing military-technical cooperation and capacity building, continued to grow. There were high-level visits, seminars, collaboration initiatives as well as military education and training programmes.  
6. Through our Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme or ITEC, we are very happy to build capacity in Armenia. So far, more than 400 Armenian officials and others have availed of these all- expenses paid scholarships. In addition, like last year, this year too, a specialized course is being organized in February 2026 for officials of the State Revenue and Investigative Committees at the National Forensic Sciences University in Gujarat, India. We were delighted to establish an India Corner and Digital Transformation Laboratory at the Gyumri Branch of the Armenian State University of Economics. To further enhance its bio-diversity agenda, Armenia signed the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Framework Agreement on 30 June 2025. The IBCA was created by India in 2023 to promote the protection and conservation of the seven big cats of the world by uniting efforts of countries and forming relevant international standards.  

Excellencies, Friends, 

7. Our External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, was one of the first foreign leaders to call his counterpart, Mr. Mirzoyan, to congratulate the Armenian leadership after the historic events of 8th August 2025. We welcome the establishment of peace in the region which will lead to all-round economic prosperity. We also wish the Armenian people and the government successful conduct of the upcoming Parliamentary elections scheduled to be held in June this year.  
8. Our cultural bonds are perhaps the strongest. The popularity of Indian films and the nostalgia surrounding them, continues unabated. After bringing Film Festivals of Raj Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty earlier in the year, we were overwhelmed to see the tremendous response to the Festival of Contemporary Indian Films last month. We hope to enthrall Armenian audiences with more contemporary cinematic flair in the coming months.  
9. With these words, let me welcome you all once again and thank you for attending our 77th Republic Day celebrations. I now invite our Chief Guest, H.E. Mr. Mher Grigoryan, to deliver his remarks. 

Shat shnorakalem! Namaskar!