The Minister of Defense of Armenia, Suren Papikyan, who is on a visit to the United States (US), on Thursday met with the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The meeting commenced with an official welcoming ceremony at the Pentagon, during which the national anthems of Armenia and the US were performed.

Suren Papikyan, expressing his gratitude to Lloyd Austin for the warm hospitality, outlined the ongoing reforms within the Armenian Armed Forces, and highlighted the priority domains of cooperation. These domains are aimed at both transforming the Armenian Armed Forces and enhancing interoperability with the US Armed Forces, which are military education, combat training, joint exercises in preparation for participation in international peacekeeping missions, the development of professional NCO and instructor corps, and the establishment of educational and training capabilities for the Armenian Armed Forces.

Welcoming Suren Papikyan, Lloyd Austin emphasized the historic significance of the Armenian defense minister‘s visit to the US.

Armenia-US defense cooperation was discussed during the meeting. 

Also, Lloyd Austin affirmed that the US supports the independence, sovereignty, and prosperity of Armenia, and highlighted that cooperation between the two countries continues to grow. Secretary Austin emphasized the US’ commitment to continue assisting the reforms in the Armenian Armed Forces.

The meeting addressed international and regional security issues as well.

Defense Minister Suren Papikyan reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to achieving lasting peace in the region. In turn, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed the United States’ support for this objective.