US to send advisor to Armenian defence ministry

The US has announced it will deploy an advisor to Armenia’s Defence Ministry ‘in the coming months’ to support Armenia’s security. 

The advisor will be sent as part of the US’s Global Defense Reform Program, with the US Embassy to Armenia confirming to OC Media that funding would come through the State Department, not the US armed forces or Department of Defense. 

‘Through advisory assistance, the United States intends to support Armenia with enhancing its security sector governance while strengthening US–Armenia relations’, the embassy told OC Media.

They said the advisor would be based in Armenia and would ‘engage regularly with the Embassy and Ministry’, adding that they had already been selected and would begin working later in the year.

The embassy said the Global Defense Reform Program ‘supports partners globally to develop more resilient, effective, and accountable security institutions through strategic-level advisory assistance.’

The embassy did not clarify how long the advisor would be stationed in Armenia, or if it indicated that the US planned to further step up military cooperation with Armenia, including the possible supply of US military aid or the sale of weapons to Armenia.

The US’s intention to deploy a defence advisor in Armenia was first announced in April, with US Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien telling RFE/RL that the advisor’s aim would be ‘to help build capacity, particularly because Armenia is interested in expanding its participation in things like peacekeeping and other peaceful endeavours.’

‘We’re going to work with them on both reforming internally, how to get your Ministry of Defence up to modern standards, and then also how to do more in the peacekeeping area,’ said Kvien. 

Last week, during her visit to Armenia, the US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Uzra Zeya, confirmed to Hetq that there would be a US Army resident advisor attached to Armenia’s Ministry of Defense.  

‘We welcome deepening defence and civilian security cooperation between the US and Armenia. This is part of the spirit embodied in the historic upgrade in US Armenia relations to a strategic partnership,’ she said.

In June, Armenia and the US outlined plans to ‘upgrade the status of [their] bilateral dialogue to a Strategic Partnership Commission’.  

Zeya’s visit took place as Armenia held the second ‘EAGLE PARTNER’ military peacekeeping drills with the US. 

Photos of the drills show what appears to be at least one armoured ambulance, which the US ambassador had in April stated would also be provided to Armenia. 

At the time, Kvien noted the ‘very active and robust’ discussion that the countries were having regarding security and defence, adding that they were discussing Armenia’s military needs.

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