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Decoding the New Delhi–Yerevan Relationship

Jason Wahlang
Dr Jason Wahlang is a Research Analyst in the Europe and Eurasia Centre at MP-IDSA, New Delhi. Click here for detailed profile.

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    Jason Wahlang
    July 30, 2024

    Since the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War of 2020, Armenia has sought to diversify outside traditional partners such as Russia, as part of its long-term complementarist foreign policy. India has been one country with which Armenia has deepened its relationship in recent times, particularly in defence and security. With Armenia’s foreign policy shift and diversification efforts, India is well-positioned to be a significant partner for Yerevan. This partnership offers various mutual benefits, from economic growth to security. The India–Armenia relationship is a win-win situation, demonstrating that both countries stand to gain from their cooperation.

    Background

    India and Armenia share a robust relationship that is deeply rooted in history. The Armenians first arrived in India as traders and later established their diaspora. The relationship gained prominence after the Soviet collapse and the emergence of the newly independent nation of Armenia. Over the years, it has gained further importance, and there is vigour in both countries to improve and add to the ever-growing relationship. This historical connection between India and Armenia forms a strong foundation for their current and future cooperation.

    Current Dynamics

    Currently, the relationship continues to grow in various fields of cooperation, including political, economics and defence. The relationship is complemented by foreign policy initiatives followed by both countries. India's strategic autonomy and focus on its extended neighbourhood are acknowledged in the Caucasus, where Armenia is an essential component. Armenia’s multi-vector foreign policy has place for the involvement of major regional powers and this is where India fits in.  

    Defence

    The relationship's main foundation is defence. Recently, the two nations have been planning to explore capacity-building and not limit themselves to technical defence cooperation.1 The two nations have seen substantial growth in this field. India recently sent its first Defence Attaché to Yerevan2 after the Indian Air Force agreed to post additional defence attachés, thus expanding its space in military diplomacy with Armenia. 

    The two nations in May 2024 decided on a joint action plan for 2024–2025, to include military education, arms supplies, tactical training and experience exchange.3 India has already supplied Armenia with Pinaka multi barrel rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, rockets, ammunition, anti-drone systems and Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS).

    Multilateral Partnerships

    India and Armenia have also engaged each other in various multilateral forums and have formed bilateral and trilateral partnerships. One important partnership is the India, Iran and Armenia trilateral partnership. The partnership has created a tripartite platform where senior officials met in 2023 to discuss the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and another corridor to connect with Russia and Europe.4

    Iran is important for India’s regional connectivity projects, with Chabahar being the base for the INSTC. Armenia also gained access to Chabahar and Bandar Abbas in January 2024 for its trade with India.5 All three nations share a robust relationship, and trilateral cooperation can boost the relationship further and help both India and Armenia.

    Apart from the trilateral with Iran, there have been discussions on the possibility of a quadrilateral collaboration between Armenia, Greece, France and India in the defence field. The Greek Minister of Defence, Nikolaos Dandanis, highlighted this during his meeting with Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papakiyan in March 2024.6 This is a significant opportunity for multilateral cooperation between four nations that share a robust relationship and have seen substantial positive shifts, particularly in defence.

    The Azerbaijani Factor

    One major factor in the India–Armenia relationship has been the role of Armenia's adversarial neighbour, Azerbaijan. India and Azerbaijan do share cordial relations, and it is one of the major trade partners of New Delhi in the South Caucasus. Despite such ties, there are still some issues that could cause significant obstacles in the relationship.

    The biggest impediment is the unequivocal support of Azerbaijani leadership for Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. Even during his recent visit to Pakistan, AzerbaijaniPresident Ilhan Aliyev stressed on this.7   Armenia, on the other hand, has reiterated on various occasions that it supports India’s stance on Kashmir.

    Regarding the conflict in the South Caucasus, i.e., the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Pakistanis have openly endorsed the Azerbaijani cause since the first Karabakh war and have not established diplomatic relations with Armenia. India has taken a more neutral stance, supported diplomatic efforts for a long-term solution, and encouraged the nations towards long-term peace and security.8  

    Future Prospects

    One significant prospect of cooperation is the technology sector. Armenia is going through a technological revolution. The two countries could further collaborate to enhance their technological outreach and improve their relationship. India is globally known for its pharmaceutical production and medical diplomacy. This was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic with its Vaccine Maitri policy. The two nations could create opportunities for cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals, with Armenian pharma also becoming one of the rapid, vibrant and rapidly expanding sectors in the field of allopathy medicines. Armenia also houses a small fraction of Indian students who are engaged in medical studies.

    The two nations can also focus on the cultural aspects of the relationship. India's soft power outreach includes International Yoga Day, which was celebrated in Armenia. The presence of an Armenian diaspora in India also create opportunities for further enhancement of the culture. The connected history, including Armenians in India in the past, giving rise to Armenian nationalism, the first Armenian printing press, and the presence of an Armenian diaspora throughout history means that Armenians have historical connections to India. Therefore, the relationship in the cultural sense could contribute to solidify ties and enhance people-to-people interactions. Strong cultural connections create ample space for the enhancement of cooperation.

    The two nations can cooperate in natural disaster management. India and Armenia both suffer from floods. They could also collaborate to jointly develop earthquake resistant technologies to prevent major damage during earthquakes.

    Conclusion

    India and Armenia are critical regional partners, and their collaboration and cooperation may soon transform into a strategic partnership. The transformation of the relationship could see a new era of India’s focus on the South Caucasus, where Armenia could play an important role. However, there are still some limitations that the two nations need to tackle to enhance the relationship further. One of the noteworthy limitations that the two nations need to tackle is the lack of connectivity. The recent Iran–Armenia agreement on using Chabahar could improve the situation, but there is still a need to further enhance connectivity.

    Not only trade connectivity but also the need to further people-to-people connections would require focus. This can be enhanced through regular direct flights between the two nations. Armenia is the only country in the region with which India doesn’t have direct flight connectivity with, whereas Georgia and Azerbaijan are directly connected with New Delhi. If connectivity is improved, that would provide newer opportunities for cooperation between the two nations.

    Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the Government of India.

    Keywords: 
    Armenia
    India

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