During the 8th session of the IGC, India and Armenia held discussions on cooperation in various sectors

India and Armenia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on High Impact Community Development Projects in Armenia with financial and technical assistance from India.

The MoU was signed on Monday during the visit of Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Sanjay Verma for the 8th session of the India-Armenia Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological, Cultural, and Educational Cooperation (IGC). The meeting was held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

The delegation from Armenia was led by Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, while the delegation from India was headed by Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs, Sanjay Verma. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with the Secretary (West) before the IGC consultations for a private conversation.

Informing about this, Secretary (West) of MEA, Sanjay Verma tweeted, "Pleasure to call on FM @AraratMirzoyan and co- chair the 8th India-Armenia Inter Gov Commission in Yerevan. We also signed a MoU on Developmental Projects. India's relations with Armenia are historical and closer than ever before. @IndiainArmenia @MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar"

According to the MEA, during the IGC session, both parties examined and discussed their present levels of collaboration in a variety of areas, including commerce, investments, health, tourism, infrastructure, culture, connectivity, information technology, agriculture, fintech, and education.

The 7th IGC was held in April 2016.

During the visit, the Secretary (West) also met with Armenia's Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan.

He also paid floral tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. A Mahatma Gandhi Auditorium was later inaugurated at the Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU) along with Armen Muradyan, Rector of the University. Secretary (West) Verma also interacted with Indian students studying at the YSMU, the MEA said.

According to the Indian Embassy in Armenia, this centre will represent academic cooperation between India and Armenia and would also foster friendship and understanding between the two nations.