INDIA-ARMENIA

                                                                    INDIA-ARMENIA 

Why in News?

Recently, Armenia and India celebrated 30 years of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2022.

 

About Historical Ties of India & Armenia:

1. Armenia and India maintain active political ties.
2. Effective cooperation is there between both nations within international bodies.
3. After Armenia’s independence in 1991, Armenian-Indian relations were re-established.
4. Diplomatic relations were established between the Republic of Armenia and India in 1992.
5. In 1999, the Indian Embassy in Yerevan began operations.
6. If the Armenian-Indian political relations can be evaluated as “excellent”, Armenia is the only Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) country with which India had diplomatic relations in 1995 (other than Russia).
7. The CIS was founded in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
8. At present the CIS unites:

• Azerbaijan
• Armenia
• Belarus
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Moldova
• Russia
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan
• Ukraine

9. India and Armenia signed a Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation in 1995.
10. But the trade and economic cooperation between the two countries cannot be deemed adequate.

Areas of Cooperation Between the 2 Countries:

1. Armenia provides a potential outpost for India from the Persian Gulf to Russia and Europe.
2. Armenia is a potential developmental partner to India in domains such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and technology.
3. The collaboration can provide an outstanding substitute for the debt-fuelled Chinese Belt and Road Initiative model.
4. Also, increasing purchases of Indian defence hardware by Armenia would provide an impetus to both public and private sector defence manufacturing in India.
5. Armenia had already shown interest in Indian military hardware before the 2020 war.
6. In October 2022, India signed an agreement with Armenia to export missiles, rockets & ammunition.
7. The missiles will also include Indigenous Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher.
8. India may also export its Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) to Armenia.

 

What is the Significance of Armenia for India?

1. Armenia can play an important role in the Indian-backed International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Iranian-backed Black Sea-Persian Gulf Transport Corridor.
2. With recent exports of military hardware to Armenia, New Delhi has been on Armenian side in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and has therefore chosen to counter Azerbaijan.
3. As an ally of Azerbaijan, Pakistan has been supplying men and military hardware to assist Azerbaijan in its conflicts. In return Azerbaijan offers geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geostrategic benefits to its partners in Islamabad.
4. Azerbaijan's success in Armenia would significantly energize Pakistan.
5. The purpose of seizing Armenian territory forcibly is to gain unhindered access to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and the entire Turkic-oriented axis of nations, up to China. Military hardware could utilise this route to arrive at the doorstep of Kashmir.
6. To prevent this, New Delhi can utilize its military skills and capabilities to assist Armenia in securing itself.

Way Forward:

In these shifting global relations, Armenia requires a deep diversification of foreign relations. By sharing common values, Armenia and the Community of States will be able to work closely together. It is the exact area of cooperation that will ensure the active implementation of the modernization theory, institutionalization, and, possibly, strengthen national defence.

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