Armenia’s labour minister Narek Mkrtchyan, who recently visited New Delhi to participate in the Raisina Dialogue, has said deepening and expanding ties with India remains a top priority for his nation's foreign policy agenda.

He said the longstanding friendship and mutual support between India and Armenia have strengthened continuously over the past three decades.

Mkrtchyan was speaking last week in New Delhi at Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics hosted by the Observer Research Foundation, an independent think tank, in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs of India.

He said both nations have experienced a significant boost in political dialogue.

"The longstanding friendship and mutual support between our countries have strengthened continuously over the past three decades, with the last three years experiencing a significant boost, especially in political dialogue. Deepening and expanding ties with India remains a top priority in Armenia's foreign policy agenda," the minister said in his Raisina Dialogue speech.

"The inter-governmental commission between Armenia and India has gained new momentum in areas like economy, technology, social protection, education, and culture, with enhanced engagement between sectoral departments. Mutual respect for each other's cultures and the preservation of Armenian heritage in India foster collaboration and
projects to promote cultural exchange and appreciation," he said.

Tourism and AI

He said both India and Armenia should focus on the tourism sector which has the potential to boost economic growth.

"Direct flights between our countries would be a significant facilitator in this regard," Narek Mkrtchyan said.

He said both nations could collaborate in Artificial Intelligence.

"Armenia and India have the potential to collaborate on AI for social good, addressing sectors like healthcare, agriculture, environmental conservation, and urban planning," the Minister said.

"They could also potentially establish a global AI innovation platform to facilitate the sharing of solutions and research, thereby fostering social benefits through international collaboration," he said.

He said Armenia's historical position as a hub connecting North to South and West to East has made it a key player in trade and cultural exchanges.

The Minister said: "Recognizing this legacy, the Armenian government is committed to forming partnerships in major regional and global projects like the North-South International Transport Corridor, the Persian Gulf-Black Sea Transport and Transit Corridor, and the Chabahar Port Development, which is a collaborative effort between India and Iran that includes Armenia as well. With its strategic road network, Armenia is ideally positioned to make significant contributions to these initiatives. To this end, the government is focused on revitalizing and modernizing its infrastructure through the North-South Road Corridor Investment Program, with the goal of boosting Armenia's capacity and securing its active participation in these critical international initiatives."

Raisina Dialogue

The 9th edition of the Raisina Dialogue was held between February 21- 23.

The Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the international community.

The 9th Raisina Dialogue witnessed the participation of representatives from over 100 countries.