Armenia Reduces Military Cooperation with Russia from 96% to Less Than 10%

During the Second Global Armenian Summit, Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, revealed a major shift in Armenia’s approach to national security and foreign policy. He emphasized the country’s strategic goal to diversify its military and economic partnerships, moving away from its long-standing reliance on Russia. This shift, according to Grigoryan, is part of Armenia’s broader efforts to strengthen its security, economy, and sovereignty following the challenges faced during and after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

One of the key points Grigoryan mentioned was the drastic reduction in Armenia’s technico-military cooperation with Russia. In previous years, over 96% of Armenia’s military cooperation was with Russia. However, this has dropped significantly to less than 10% today. Grigoryan described this change as a deliberate outcome of Armenia's policy over the last three to four years, aimed at reducing its heavy dependence on a single partner for military needs.

Grigoryan pointed out that Armenia has been actively seeking new military partners, and has made progress by establishing important collaborations with countries such as India and France. The goal, he explained, is to spread military cooperation across multiple countries to ensure a more balanced and independent defense strategy.

"Today we have several important partners in the domain of technico-military cooperation. One is India, the other is France, and we are seeking other partners," Grigoryan said during the summit.

Another strategic goal that Armenia is working towards is the development of its own military production capabilities. Grigoryan revealed that Armenia aims to produce between 25% and 30% of its military equipment domestically. By establishing a stronger military industry within the country, Armenia hopes to better meet its own defense needs, reducing the need for external reliance.

In addition, the country plans to diversify its military partnerships. Grigoryan explained that Armenia’s strategy is to limit the share of military cooperation with any one partner to no more than 20%. This approach is intended to create a more balanced and sustainable military framework, with several nations contributing to Armenia’s defense industry without any single country dominating the sector.

The need for diversification goes beyond military concerns. Grigoryan emphasized that Armenia is also seeking economic diversification. He noted that many countries around the world are moving towards economic diversification, and Armenia is no exception. By diversifying its economic partnerships and activities, Armenia aims to strengthen its sovereignty and protect its territorial integrity.

This effort is seen as crucial in the post-2020 war landscape, where Armenia faced significant challenges to its territorial integrity and national security. Grigoryan acknowledged that while Armenia has made significant progress in the military sector, it has not yet seen the same level of success in economic diversification. However, the government is committed to putting in the necessary effort to achieve success in this area.