Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and also Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See in New York, on the sidelines of the UNGA.
The meeting with the Armenian PM comes amid reports that Armenia is making significant purchases of Indian-made weapon systems, including the Akash-1S air defence system, as part of a $2 billion defence partnership signed in 2020.
According to reports, Armenia will receive India’s indigenously developed Akash-1S air defence missile system later in 2024. Armenia had placed an order for 15 Akash missile systems in 2022 for $720 million, and is the first foreign buyer of the platform. Armenia is reported to have emerged as the largest importer of weapons from India in the past four years.
In posts on X, the PM said:
“Wonderful to have met Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia on the sidelines of the Summit of the Future at the @UN earlier today.”
On his meeting with the official of the Holy See, the PM said:
“Had a great conversation with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See in New York.”
