Pashinyan stops over in New Delhi and meets Jaishankar before the Francophonie summit
- Published
- Place
- New Delhi, India
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Nikol Pashinyan met India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Saturday, 14 November. The Armenian Prime Minister was making a brief stopover in the Indian capital on his way to Cambodia, where he is attending the 20th Summit of La Francophonie. According to his office, the two men discussed Armenia–India cooperation across many fields. They highlighted the “high level” and “intensive nature” of bilateral relations, and the importance of steadily developing “mutually beneficial” ties. They also exchanged views on regional developments. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar later posted on X. He listed the economic, security, cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries, which “continue to gain momentum”. He said they also discussed the conflicts in the Gulf and in Ukraine.
The Indian leg was not in the departure statement published that morning. It only announced a working visit to Cambodia from 14 to 16 November, with bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.
Nikol Pashinyan revealed the meeting himself on social media, with a short video. The official statement followed. In photos released by his office, the two men shake hands in front of both countries’ flags before sitting down for talks.
Security comes first for New Delhi
The Indian minister was more specific than the Armenian side. In his post, he first mentioned economic and security ties, then cultural and people-to-people links. He thanked Nikol Pashinyan for his insights on “recent developments in his region”.
The word “security” matters. In recent years India has become an important defence partner for Armenia, notably as an arms supplier. The two officials also discussed the conflicts in the Gulf and in Ukraine, according to India’s top diplomat.
Next stop: Phnom Penh
The summit of the International Organisation of La Francophonie takes place in Phnom Penh on 15 and 16 November. It is the first time Cambodia hosts this meeting of heads of state and government. Its theme focuses on peace, shared prosperity and stability.
Armenia has been a full member of La Francophonie since 2012. It hosted the 2018 summit in Yerevan.
Nikol Pashinyan is arriving from Dublin. On Thursday he attended the European Political Community summit there and met Ilham Aliyev. On Friday, speaking to Irish experts, he said Armenia and Türkiye were “very close to the final step” of normalisation.
Analysis
A stopover of a few hours, but a real signal. India carries growing weight in Armenian foreign policy, especially in the military field. For Yerevan, which is distancing itself from Moscow and diversifying its partners, every high-level contact with New Delhi counts. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s choice of words, putting security among the first pillars of the relationship, points the same way. The detour also shows that Armenian diplomacy is no longer limited to Europe and its immediate neighbours. Whether an official visit will follow remains to be seen.
Possible consequences
Nikol Pashinyan attends the Francophonie summit in Phnom Penh on 15 and 16 November, where bilateral meetings are planned. No official visit to India has been announced so far.
