Bolstering bilateral ties: 2 Armenian varsities show interest to work with Sister Nivedita Univ

KOLKATA: A new chapter started with the bilateral relationship between India and Armenia. Recently, the Embassy of India in Armenia and the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) jointly organised a business forum, India Armenia Business Forum.

A delegation comprising 12 renowned industrialists from India visited Armenia to strengthen bilateral trade. The forum provided an important framework to deepen trade and cultural relations with Armenia and the exchange of knowledge sharing between both countries.

An agreement was signed between the Armenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Armenia and the Indian Chamber of Commerce. From India, Satyam Roychowdhury, Chair-National Committee on Higher Education and Training Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), led the business delegation.

The delegation also saw the participation of Rajive Kaul, Past President of ICC and Member of Advisory Committee ICC and Shivkumar Eashwaran, Hon Consul of Armenia in Chennai and co-chair of ICC Tamil Nadu State Council. Nilakshi Saha Sinha, Ambassador of India to Armenia also graced the inaugural event. Both countries discuss cooperation in trade, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and technology.

The Armenian National Agricultural University and the European University of Armenia showed keen interest to work with Sister Nivedita University, Kolkata.

They were elated to learn about SNU’s commitment to excellence and innovation in education.

Roychowdhury extended a hearty vote of thanks at the India Armenia Business Forum. Thanking Nilakshi Sinha Saha, Ambassador of India to Armenia, and the executive director, Armenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Armenia, he said the session was “enriching” and provided the ICC delegation with key insights revolving around the bilateral relations between India and Armenia.

“The diplomatic relations between India and Armenia were established in 1992. Since then Armenian and Indian political relations had been good and friendly. Both nations signed a Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation in 1995. In fact, Armenia is the only Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nation with which India had diplomatic relations in 1995 apart from Russia. Coming to defense Armenia had signed a USD 40 million arms deal with India in 2020. It was for the supply of four SWATHI radars to detect the location of weapons. Last October, in 2022, India signed an agreement with Armenia to export missiles, rockets and ammunitions. That also includes the indigenous “Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher”. There are also talks about the export of India’s Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) to Armenia. Armenia’s rising purchases of Indian defense hardware shall provide an impetus to both public and private sector defense manufacturing in India,” Roychowdhury, Chancellor of Sister Nivedita University (SNU), Kolkata said.

He further elaborated that Armenia can be a potential developmental partner to India in sectors such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and technology. “From the perspective of geopolitics the structure of international relations is also changing, creating both potential threats and opportunities. Armenia is very special in our eyes as Indian – Armenian cooperation can become an integral part of broader contacts for both of us with diverse democracies. On April 21, 2023, we all know that the Foreign Affairs Ministry of India, Armenia and Iran held their first trilateral consultations in Yerevan in a move to strengthen regional cooperation. This speaks in itself about the importance of India’s relationship with Armenia in the current scenario,” he said.