Armenia, Greece, and Cyprus sign defence cooperation programme

Armenia, Greece, and Cyprus have concluded consultations on defence issues, culminating in the signing of a trilateral cooperation programme.

The announcement was made by the Armenian Ministry of Defence on December 20, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

The consultations began with bilateral talks between Armenia and Greece in Athens on December 19. Subsequently, Armenia, Greece, and Cyprus held trilateral discussions. The Armenian delegation was led by Levon Ayvazyan, Head of the Department of Defence Policy and International Cooperation at the Armenian Ministry of Defence.

During the meetings, the countries reviewed the outcomes of their defence cooperation efforts in 2024 and discussed plans for 2025.

"At the end of the consultations, the programmes of Armenia-Greece bilateral cooperation and Armenia-Greece-Cyprus trilateral cooperation for 2025 were signed, which include several dozens of activities in different spheres of activities of the armed forces," the Armenian Defence Ministry stated.

The officials highlighted the significant progress made in both quantitative and qualitative terms, noting that they had focused on important areas that require continued and systematic collaboration.

The discussions also addressed the implementation of new approaches and standards in the defence sector.

"Ayvazyan presented to his counterparts the process of transformation of the Armenian army, highlighting the contribution of the partners from Greece and Cyprus, particularly in the training of different branches of the army, military education, trainings and exercises, exchange of experience, as well as advisory support and other directions," the report added.

In addition to defence cooperation, the talks touched on recent regional and international military-political developments, with the parties stressing the importance of regular defence consultations.

This cooperation builds upon earlier discussions, such as the proposal by Cypriot Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas in September 2024, which called for an expansion of joint exercises with Armenia and emphasized technology exchange as part of military-technical cooperation.

By Tamilla Hasanova