India & France break Turkey-Pakistan Nexus in Transcaucasia
During World War I, the Ottoman Empire instituted a policy of forced resettlement that, coupled with other harsh practices targeting its Armenian subjects who are mainly Christians. This resulted in at least 1 million deaths; these actions have been widely recognized as constituting genocide.
During the early 19th century, a major part of Armenia was under Russian rule. Armenia declared its independence in 1918 in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, but it was taken back by the Soviet Red Army in 1920.
Armenia, along with Azerbaijan and Georgia, was initially incorporated into the USSR as part of the Transcaucasian Federated Soviet Socialist Republic; in 1936, the republic was separated into its three constituent entities, which were maintained until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
For over three decades, Armenia had a longstanding conflict with neighbouring Azerbaijan about the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which historically had a mixed Armenian and Azerbaijani population, although ethnic Armenians have constituted the majority since the late 19th century. In 1921, Russia had placed Nagorno-Karabakh within Soviet Azerbaijan as an autonomous oblast. In the late Soviet period, a separatist movement developed that sought to end Azerbaijani control over the region. Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh began in 1988 and escalated after Armenia and Azerbaijan declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
By the time a cease-fire took effect in 1994, separatists with Armenian support controlled Nagorno‑Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories. Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in a second military conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020; Armenia lost control over much of the territory it had previously captured, returning the southern part of Nagorno-Karabakh and the territories around it to Azerbaijan. In September 2023, Azerbaijan took military action to regain control over Nagorno-Karabakh; after an armed conflict that lasted only one day, nearly the entire ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh fled to Armenia.
Turkey a Muslim country closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan during the first period of conflict with Armenia and has since maintained a closed border, leaving Armenia with closed borders both in the west (with Turkey) and east (with Azerbaijan).
Armenia and Turkey engaged in intensive diplomacy to normalize relations and open the border in 2009, but the signed agreement was not ratified in either country. In 2015, Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union alongside Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. In 2017, Armenia signed a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the EU.
As part of the erstwhile Soviet Union, Armenia even after becoming independent was naturally dependent on Russia for everything including military hardware. However due to Ukraine conflict, it has become difficult for Russia to provide military aid to Armenia. On the oter hand Azerbaizan has signed a military pact with Turkey and Pakistan.
So now even Armenia is taking active steps to expand its economic and military ties with other countries, mainly France and India. To break the nefarious designs of Khalifa Tyaipp Erdogan of Turkey and Pakistan, both India and France are Increasing military supplies to Armenia. Thus strengthening Armenia to stand up to the onslaught of neighbouring Azerbaijan and thereby balancing the current fragile state of relations between the two countries.
Baku authorities are going in for increased militarization with help from Turkey and Pakistan to ensure full control over Karabakh and other neighbouring Armenian territories.
In June, France and Armenia signed a contract for self-propelled 155-mm 52-caliber “Caesar” guns, the range of which with advanced projectiles exceeds 50 kilometers. The two sides said the deal included the sale of 36 howitzers over the next 15 months, which French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecorneau described as “an important new milestone” in French-Armenian military cooperation. The latest deal comes after a series of similar military deals between the two countries, after France agreed to supply arms to Armenia in October.
In addition to the armoured personnel carriers, Yerevan and Paris also agreed to supply the Mistral short-range air defence system and Thales Group-made GM200 radars, which can simultaneously detect and track multiple aircraft, drones and even missiles within a 250 kilometre radius. Now Azebauzan claims that the same can be used for offensive purposes to regain the lost Armenian territories.
India has become the other major friend of Armenia and is supplying all required military equipment to protect its sovereignty. Armenia and India have historical relationship going back to the days of Chandragupta Maurya and before.
So no wonder Armenia in desperation turned to India for Arms supplies when treatened by Turkey Pakistan Azerbaizan nexus, after the end of the second Karabakh war in November 2020.
According to the Indian Defence Ministry, Armenia is now the largest importer of Indian arms after the latest deal to supply Pinaka long Range rocket systems and anti-Akash air defence systems.
The total volume of weapons purchased by Armenia has reached INR 5100 Crores ($600 million ) by the beginning of the current fiscal year 2024–25. Various sources have reported that from September 2022, Armenia has requested the supply of additional military equipment from India, including rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, mobile radar systems and advanced towed artillery systems (ATAGS).
The level of military from India and France are now turning the tables and causing nightmares to not only Baku but to Ankara and Islamabad too. The concern of the Azerbaijani authorities has intensified by the fact that even with help if Khalifa Endorgan they are now not sure of holding onto the forcibly conquered regions of Armenia ie Karabakh and others.
Now Baku must face the detrimental consequences of forcibly annexing Armenian territory. For peace and stability in the region, Azerbaizan must avoid renewed conflict, and to support the peace process between Baku and Yerevan must start immediate talks.
Even the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brian, has commented that Armenia is “almost completely dependent” on Russia in terms of its economy and energy. This too is an ominous statement in many ways.
