International News
After war with Azerbaijan, Armenia taps India for military hardware
Recently in June, a defence delegation from the Republic of Armenia visited India, meeting with their counterparts here. The delegation came armed with a shopping list. While little is known about its contents, drones have been confirmed to have figured prominently on the list. But not drones alone, an official confirmed without going into any further details. This is not the first time that Armenia has evinced interest in Indian military hardware. In 2020, it concluded a deal with India worth 40 million for the supply of four indigenously built weapon-locating radars. The SWATHI radars have been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Since then, Armenia’s defence requirement has grown exponentially. “The Karabakh war made us rethink our defence needs,” said an Armenian official who did not want to be named. The war referred to the one the tiny South Caucasian nation fought with Azerbaijan over the contested territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. For twenty years the Armenians had held the ethnic Armenian enclave which technically formed part of Azerbaijan, as a result of the controversial borders drawn up during the erstwhile Soviet Union where the exercise was primarily based on keeping individual republics dependent on Moscow.
However, in 2020 Armenia lost all the territory to Azerbaijan, including the corridor that connected Armenia to the enclave. Though a member of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaties Organisation (CSTO), Russia refused to intervene in the war since it considered Nagorno-Karabakh to technically not be ‘Armenian territory’. Russian defence equipment also proved not to be a match for the Turkish equipment that was deployed, especially Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. Turkish military counsellors and arms won the war for Azerbaijan. “Russia intervened only when it felt Turkey would become a permanent presence in the region,” said the official bitterly. The result – a Russian peace keeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh. But the war also showed the limits of Western support and help for Armenia, as well as the limits of Armenian soft power -primarily its diaspora abroad, which is a source of pride for many Armenians. Armenia, even as located in a hostile neighbourhood, remains dependent on Russia. And Russia now remains focused on Ukraine.
The war has also isolated Armenia in other ways, by way of few foreign investments, decline in trade and commerce, exacerbated by the pandemic. Cash strapped Armenia has been unable to modernise its industrial base or step up its R and D. Armenian analysts bemoan the fact that the country has been unable to take advantage of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and coveted Chinese investments seemed to have bypassed the tiny country even as rivals Azerbaijan and Turkey have apparently benefitted. It is another matter that along with investments Armenia has also escaped the famous Chinese debt trap unlike similarly cash strapped Tajikistan, for instance. But its bilateral trade with China amounting to $873 USD is heavily tilted in favour of the latter. It would also be interesting to know how Armenian analysts view events in Sri Lanka.
This makes the situation very favourable for India. India’s ties with Armenia are civilizational, thanks to its diaspora, Armenia and India continue to share a unique bond. High profile visits have characterized bilateral relations, and new life was breathed into the relationship beginning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Armenian President Nikol Pashashian in New York in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. India sees Armenia not only as a friend but a good counterweight to Turkey whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been particularly belligerent on the Kashmir issue, and followed a number of policies inimical to India, as well as to Azerbaijan, closely allied with Turkey and Pakistan.
Armenia is strategically located bordering Russia, Iran, Turkey. It is a significant part of multimodal trade routes. The Armenian North South Road Corridor is being developed to connect the Black Sea ports through the territory of Armenia and Georgia and further to Europe.
The implementation of the Project is expected to improve Europe – Caucasus – Asia road communication at the intersection of West Asia and East Europe. During his visit to Yerevan last year in October, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar pledged his support for the corridor. Earlier in 2021, Armenia was included in the virtual conference to commemorate the Chabahar Port. Its North South Corridor easily connects to the International North South Transport Corridor that India is involved in together with Russia and Iran. The first freight recently arrived through the INSTC from Russia to India. The Armenian Road Corridor becomes a natural part of the INSTC, which India has pitched for further linking to the Chabahar Port which it is helping develop.
This offers a valuable option to the BRI. India must therefore seize the opportunity to direct investments to the country, which will help to both develop the corridor, currently being funded by amongst others the Asian Development Bank, as well as resuscitate Armenia’s flailing economy. While China’s Confucius Institutes have made inroads and become quickly popular with Armenians, Indian soft power through Bollywood, Indian cuisine, and the centuries old Armenian diaspora in India has an edge. But it needs to be backed up by equally strong investments and trade. Current bilateral trade between India and Armenia hovers around a paltry $ 234 million. Of this Armenia enjoys the balance of trade but its main exports are minerals and metals. It is seeking to set up its manufacturing base and Indian companies and entrepreneurs with enormous experience can help in this.
Together with defence, trade, and investments, Armenia can become a strategically significant partner for India, where India can set up bases and a commercial and defence hub for joint manufacture and Indian exports beyond. Located in Russia’s sphere of influence, this is an additional advantage for India. Any Indian bases there should not be irksome to Russia, even as it offers an alternative to Armenia and will preempt China’s expanding footprint.
International News
Arab leaders meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss Palestinian issue, Gaza developments
Riyadh, Feb 22: Leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain met in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh to discuss the Palestinian issue and the developments in the Gaza Strip, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
While the report described the gathering as a “consultative brotherly meeting” without providing details, media reports suggested that the discussions held on Friday were meant to focus on Gaza’s post-war reconstruction to counter a recent proposal by US President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians from the enclave and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” a plan widely rejected by Arab nations.
Umer Karim, an expert on Saudi foreign policy, called the summit the “most consequential” in decades for the wider Arab world and the Palestinian issue.
Trump triggered global outrage when he proposed the United States “take over the Gaza Strip” and relocate its 2.4 million people to neighbouring Egypt and Jordan.
According to SPA, the meeting is at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and attended by Jordanian King Abdullah II, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
During the meeting, the leaders also expressed their support for the upcoming emergency Arab League summit, scheduled to take place in Cairo on March 4, to address the latest Palestinian developments.
The Gaza Strip is largely in ruins after more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas, with the United Nations recently estimating that rebuilding would cost more than $53 billion.
New Delhi, Feb 20: In yet another sign of thawing ties between the two countries, a Chinese diplomat on Thursday hailed India’s ascent in the Asia Power Index that was released last year.
“India has become the 3rd most powerful and influential country in Asia, after the US and China,” Yu Jing, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, posted on X citing the 2024 Asia Power Index by Australia’s Sydney-based Lowy Institute.
The report released in September 2024 had placed India as the third-most powerful nation in Asia, behind only the United States and China, highlighting India’s remarkable improvement in various categories, particularly in Diplomatic Influence, which surged due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s increased international engagements.
As India overtook Japan to grab the third spot in the Asia Power Index, several leaders attributed the country’s ascent to PM Modi’s visionary leadership and global strategy.
“India’s rise is no accident. This is the direct result of Prime Minister Modi’s aggressive diplomatic strategy and his bold ambitions to reshape India’s place in the world. Without his leadership, India would still be languishing behind, but today, we see a nation on the verge of superpower status,” stressed Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri.
According to the Lowy Institute, the Asia Power Index consisted of eight measures of power, 30 thematic sub-measures and 131 indicators. The Index ranked 27 countries and territories in terms of their capacity to shape their external environment — its scope reaching as far west as Pakistan, as far north as Russia, and as far into the Pacific as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
The government listed three major factors behind India’s rise in the index, including economic growth, future prospects and diplomatic influence.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has gained greater international recognition. India’s non-aligned strategic position has made it possible for New Delhi to effectively navigate complex international waters. India ranked sixth in terms of diplomatic interactions in 2023, reflecting its active participation in multilateral forums,” the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said, last year.
The strained relations between India and China are showing some improvement following the meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held in Kazan in October 2024.
Last month, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Beijing for a meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Foreign Minister mechanism between India and China on January 27.
The two sides not only decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in the summer of 2025 but also agreed, in principle, to resume direct air services between the two countries.
Analysts reckon that the Chinese diplomat’s post on Thursday could be part of both countries deciding to utilise 2025 – the 75th anniversary of the establishment of India-China diplomatic relations – to redouble public diplomacy efforts, create better awareness about each other and restore mutual trust and confidence among the public, as it was agreed during Foreign Secretary Misri’s visit to Beijing, last month.
Tehran, Feb 19: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that US “foolish” plans for Gaza and Palestine “will lead nowhere.”
“Those who claimed that they would destroy resistance in a short period of time are now receiving their prisoners from the resistance fighters in small groups and releasing a large number of Palestinian captives in return,” Khamenei said when meeting with visiting Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement Ziad al-Nakhalah, Xinhua news agency reported quoting a statement by Khamenei’s website.
As “global public opinion is now in favour of Palestine,” no plan will succeed without the consent of the resistance and people of Gaza, he said.
For his part, al-Nakhalah thanked Iran’s constant support for the resistance in Gaza, which he said managed to achieve “great victories” over the United States and the West despite the unequal balance of power.
US President Donald Trump proposed recently to transfer Gaza’s Palestinian population to neighboring countries, stating that Gazans who left will not be allowed to return.
The proposal, strongly supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has met continuous regional and international outcry.
Earlier on February 10, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is discussing US President Donald Trump’s “revolutionary, creative vision” on the Gaza Strip, the one that Trump is “very determined to implement.”
Trump’s plan “opens up many possibilities for us,” Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting after his return from Washington to Israel, according to a statement released by Netanyahu’s office.
“For an entire year, we have been told that the ‘day after’ (in Gaza) must involve the PLO (the Palestine Liberation Organization), the Palestinian Authority … President Trump has presented a completely different vision, one that is much better for the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said.
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