Armenia

Lieutenant General Edward Asryan Leads the Armenian Delegation at the NATO Military Committee Conference in Brussels

From January 15-17, Lieutenant General Edward Asryan, the First Deputy Minister of Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, led a delegation on a working visit to Brussels to attend the NATO Military Committee Conference in the format of the Chiefs of Defence Staff of NATO member and partner states.

The conference aimed to deepen understanding of current global and regional threats and challenges, focusing on issues such as climate change, widespread instability, emerging and disruptive technologies, the resilience of critical life-support infrastructures against hybrid and cyber threats, and the involvement of partner states in NATO-led operations and missions.

On January 16, Lieutenant General Asryan conducted a series of bilateral meetings at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. He met with the Chiefs of Defence Staff of Greece and Georgia and held private discussions with the Chiefs of Defence Staff of France and Sweden. During these meetings, the high level of bilateral cooperation in the defense sector was reaffirmed with Greece and France. Lieutenant General Asryan expressed his deep appreciation for the contributions of Athens and Paris to the ongoing efforts to modernize and transform the Armenian Armed Forces. Discussions with the Georgian Chief of Defence centered on enhancing bilateral cooperation, particularly through exchanging advanced transformation experiences, while potential avenues for establishing bilateral defense relations were explored with the Swedish representative.

Armenia and India Discuss Defence Cooperation and Regional Security

On January 16, Suren Papikyan, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia, received Ms. Nilakshi Saha Sinha, the Ambassador Extraordinary, and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to Armenia, accompanied by the newly appointed Defence Attaché to Armenia, Air Force Group Captain Manish Tolani, and the outgoing Defence Attaché, Brigadier General Naveen Nijhawan.

Minister Papikyan congratulated Group Captain Tolani on his appointment, wishing him success in his mission and emphasizing the importance of having an Indian Defence Attaché based in Yerevan for the first time. The meeting focused on strengthening defense cooperation between Armenia and India, as well as discussing regional and international security issues. Minister Papikyan thanked Brigadier General Nijhawan for his significant contributions to enhancing defense cooperation between the two countries and awarded him the Medal for Military Cooperation at the end of the meeting.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense and Military Prosecutor's Office Sign 2025 Action Plan

On January 13, the Ministry of Defense and the Military Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a joint action plan for 2025 aimed at strengthening the rule of law, military discipline, and preventing crimes within the Azerbaijani Army.

The plan outlines the dates, venues, and responsible individuals for the joint activities to be carried out throughout 2025. These activities will involve meetings with servicemen across various branches, including army corps, formations, military units, and special educational institutions under the Defense Ministry. The focus will be on enhancing the legal knowledge of military personnel, reinforcing discipline and the rule of law, addressing existing issues, and conducting other related initiatives.

Azerbaijan and Türkiye Hold Flag Change Ceremony Ahead of Winter Exercise 2025

On January 15, in accordance with the military cooperation agreement between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, a national flag change ceremony took place in preparation for the joint "Winter Exercise 2025" scheduled to be held in Kars, Türkiye.

After receiving the Combined Arms Army Command flag, the flag platoon began its march from Nakhchivan to the Sadarak border checkpoint, specifically the Umid Bridge over the Araz River. Simultaneously, the Turkish flag platoon initiated its march from Kars towards the ceremony location. Following the playing of the national anthems of both Azerbaijan and Türkiye, the flag change ceremony took place at the Umid Bridge.

At an event marking the departure of personnel and military equipment to the training site, Major General Kanan Seyidov, the Commander of the Combined Arms Army, emphasized the importance of the joint military drills and wished success to the exercise participants. After the event, the units designated for the training departed from Nakhchivan. According to the exercise plan, various training and combat tasks are scheduled to take place in residential areas and regions with challenging terrain, heavy snow, and extreme cold conditions.

Colonel General Karim Valiyev Attends NATO Military Committee Session in Brussels

On January 16, Colonel General Karim Valiyev, the First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, participated in the NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session in Brussels.

During the session, which involved the Chiefs of Defence of NATO Allied and partner countries, Colonel General Valiyev discussed the prospects for developing Azerbaijan-NATO cooperation, Azerbaijan's role in the Resolute Support Mission and other operations, and the experience gained by the Azerbaijan Army through various NATO exercises and events. He emphasized Azerbaijan's consistent contributions to peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic region and beyond, noting that Azerbaijan intends to further enhance its contribution to international peace and security as a partner fully committed to its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

As part of his visit, Colonel General Valiyev was scheduled to meet with several colleagues attending the session. On the same day, he held meetings with Army General Metin Gürak, the Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces; Army General Luciano Portolano, the Chief of Defence of the Italian Armed Forces; and Army General Gábor Böröndi, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The discussions focused on strengthening military cooperation between the countries and other mutual interests. Mr. Jafar Huseynzada, the Head of the Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to NATO, attended the meetings.

Local exercise

On January 18, practical classes were held during a training session organized as part of joint actions with the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription.

During the session, classes on drill training and socio-political training were conducted with reservists in accordance with daily routine rules to strengthen discipline. The following day, reservists received training on the tactical-technical characteristics of small arms and grenade launchers, as well as their proper use, to enhance their combat training, knowledge, and skills. Subsequently, the personnel involved in the training session participated in practical shooting exercises using small arms and grenade launchers.

Georgia

Georgia and NATO Discuss Future Cooperation During Key Military Meetings in Brussels and Tbilisi

On January 17, the Georgian Defense Ministry reported that Major-General Giorgi Matiashvili, the head of the Georgian Defense Forces, was in Brussels with members of his delegation to participate in the Military Committee meeting of Heads of Defense Forces from NATO Member and Partner Countries, chaired by Admiral Rob Bauer, the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. During his visit, Major-General Matiashvili thanked Admiral Bauer for his contributions to strengthening military cooperation between Georgia and NATO and presented him with the medal "Didgor Cross." He also held a bilateral meeting with the newly elected Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Kavo Dragone, where they discussed future cooperation between Georgia and NATO in the military domain. Additionally, Major-General Matiashvili conducted further bilateral meetings with foreign colleagues to discuss current issues and future defense cooperation plans.

On January 18, the new Commander of the NATO Joint Force Training Center (JFTC), Major General Bogdan Ritzersky, visited Georgia. During his visit, he met with Major General Zaza Chkhaidze, the Deputy Commander of the Georgian Defense Forces, and Colonel Zurab Khvichia, the Commander of Training and Military Education. They discussed the capabilities of the Georgian Defense Forces, ongoing reforms, and future cooperation prospects. Major General Ritzersky also visited the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) in Krtsanisi, where Colonel David Gagua, the Center's Commander, introduced the goals and objectives of the Center. The discussion included the "NATO-Georgia 2025" exercise planned for Georgia later this year. The long-standing cooperation between the training centers and the support provided by JFTC in the development of JTEC was also highlighted. JTEC began its cooperation with JFTC in Poland in 2017, and a partnership agreement was signed between the two in 2020.