Modi discusses defence, trade with leaders of Armenia and Kyrgyzstan
BISHKEK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate wide-ranging talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek on Monday, with discussions centring on defence, trade, security and regional cooperation.
During his meeting with Pashinyan, the two leaders discussed defence, trade, security and regional cooperation, according to a readout from the Ministry of External Affairs. Pashinyan briefed Modi on the implementation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement.
Modi said on social media after the talks that "India-Armenia cooperation is all set to grow in defence, IT, space, education, pharmaceuticals and more." He added, "We are equally certain to deepen trade and investment linkages in the times to come."
India has emerged as Armenia's largest defence supplier, with bilateral military trade surpassing $2 billion. Armenia also became the first international buyer of India's Multi-Barrel Rocket Launchersalking systems, and has purchased Akash missiles, a medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile system developed by the DRDO and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited.
The meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov took place on the margins of the SCO Summit. Modi described the discussions as "very fruitful", saying they focused on adding momentum to bilateral cooperation in defence, trade, and regional security. He said the two leaders discussed enhancing cooperation in health, pharmaceuticals, IT, space, education, and cultural fields.
India and Kyrgyzstan pledged to deepen their strategic partnership amid shared concerns over terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking. The two sides agreed to expand defence and security linkages and strengthen people-to-people ties in sports and tourism. They also discussed ways to bolster people-to-people ties, including through student exchanges and cultural collaborations, and agreed to enhance economic and commercial cooperation based on complementarities between the two economies.
Modi and Zhaparov agreed to further enhance economic and commercial cooperation, taking into account the complementarities between the two economies. The leaders also agreed to expand defence and security linkages and strengthen people-to-people ties in sports and tourism.