Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday, congratulating him on his party’s victory in the recently held parliamentary elections in Armenia. Modi expressed his delight at the call and extended warm wishes to Pashinyan and his Civil Contract Party for their success.

In his post on X, Modi noted that he had also thanked Pashinyan for facilitating the evacuation of Indian nationals stranded in Iran following the recent developments in West Asia. He reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening its multifaceted partnership with Armenia across trade, defence, technology and people-to-people ties, emphasising that both nations look forward to elevating their relations to new heights.

The Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia confirmed that Modi once again congratulated Pashinyan on his victory and wished him success in his future endeavours. Pashinyan reciprocated by congratulating Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister, wishing him continued success for the welfare and development of India.

Both leaders underscored the importance of continuously developing friendly relations between Armenia and India. They expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral cooperation and highlighted the intensification of political dialogue. They also discussed expanding cooperation in the economy, high technologies, education, culture and other areas of mutual interest.

The Prime Ministers touched upon cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats, exploring steps to deepen relations across the Armenia–India agenda. They attached importance to organising high-level mutual visits to further strengthen cooperation and launch new initiatives.

Earlier, on 17 April, the Ministry of External Affairs announced that 2,361 individuals had been successfully repatriated to India since the outbreak of the conflict in West Asia. Of these, 2,060 travelled via Armenia and 301 via Azerbaijan.

The figure included 1,041 Indian students, as well as three foreign nationals from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Guyana. The MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal explained that nearly 7,500 Indian nationals were present in Iran at the time, and India had worked tirelessly to ensure their safe return.

This episode highlights Armenia’s crucial role in assisting India during a regional crisis, reinforcing the trust and goodwill between the two nations. It also demonstrates India’s proactive diplomacy in safeguarding its citizens abroad while simultaneously strengthening strategic partnerships in Eurasia.

ANI