Lieutenant General Edvard Asryan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, was in New Delhi on an official visit, holding separate meetings with India’s top defence leadership on joint manufacturing, air power cooperation, training, and modernisation.
The Headquarters of Integrated Defence Staff said Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan received Lt Gen Asryan and accorded him a Guard of Honour.
“The engagement reflected the steady advancement of India-Armenia Defence Relations. Both sides also explored avenues for joint ventures in the development of military hardware, reaffirming their shared commitment to a robust, future-oriented, and mutually beneficial strategic partnership,” HQ IDS said.
Lt Gen Asryan also called on Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Chief of the Air Staff.
The Indian Air Force said discussions focused on “enhancing operational cooperation, interoperability and strengthening bilateral air power ties.”
On Wednesday, the visiting general met Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. The Ministry of Defence said talks focused on “expanding military cooperation, including training, capability development and modernisation,” adding that India reaffirmed its commitment to “being a reliable partner and supporting Armenia with state-of-the-art defence equipment.”
The visit builds on a four-day trip to Yerevan in February by General Chauhan, during which the CDS called on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to explore avenues for deeper strategic cooperation.
Armenia has been actively diversifying its defence partnerships following the failure of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation to respond to Azerbaijani military pressure in 2021 and 2022.
India has emerged as a key partner, having delivered Akash surface-to-air missile systems and Pinaka multiple-launch rocket systems to Yerevan in recent years.
Armenia has been scrambling to rebuild its defences after Azerbaijan’s 2023 military takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh, which displaced over one hundred thousand ethnic Armenians.
According to the Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia, Yerevan’s defence budget has surged 128 per cent between 2020 and 2025, reaching $1.7 billion, a reflection of the persistent threat it faces and a significant reordering of national priorities.
Even so, the institute notes Armenia remains at a steep disadvantage, with Azerbaijan’s defence spending nearly three times higher at close to $5 billion in 2025.