Armenia eyeing new markets for weapons procurement - Armenian Defense Ministry

YEREVAN. Dec 8 (Interfax) - Armenia has been exploring the procurement of weapons of new quality, and it is close to having some substantive results, Armenian Defense Minister Suran Papikyan said.

"I can say that we have been exploring new opportunities presented to us over the past year. We have knocked on many doors, and this is a natural process," Papikyan said in an interview with Armenian Public Television.

"This is a matter of weapons and hardware of new quality," he said.

"Extensive work is being done. It has borne some fruit, and we are close to substantive results," Papikyan said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said earlier that Yerevan was diversifying its arms procurement options.

The Economic Times, an Indian newspaper, said that India had received a large order for arms supply to Armenia, and almost $245 million worth of weapons would be supplied to Yerevan in the coming months. Sources told the newspaper that the order included the first-ever exports of Pinaka multi-barreled rocket launchers, currently in operation by the Indian army, alongside the delivery of anti-tank missiles and munitions.