Poland Offers More Defense Technology To Armenia

Poland is ready to significantly expand joint manufacturing of Polish-designed military equipment in Armenia, a senior Polish official said at the start of a visit to Yerevan on Wednesday.

“I expect that defense cooperation will be one of the topics of our consultations today and tomorrow in Yerevan. We are ready to present our products and technologies,” Deputy Foreign Minister Bartosz Cichocki told reporters ahead of his talks with Armenian officials. He indicated that the Polish government has already made corresponding proposals to Yerevan.

Cichocki said Armenia could make greater use of Poland’s “booming” defense industry for its own security needs. “We believe that development of the defense sector should not be based purely on import of Western or other technology and products but want to develop industries at home,” he said.

“We are ready to provide Armenia with technologies and [create] jobs here in Armenia and to share the same model of defense industry with Armenia, which is an important pillar of your economic development and security. I’m very much looking forward to discussing this,” added the official.

A Polish defense company, Lubawa SA, and the Armenian Defense Ministry already set up a joint venture in 2013. Their plant located in the Armenian town of Charentsavan manufactures a range of protective gear such as army helmets, flak jackets, big and inflatable tents, camouflage netting and decoys for the Armenian military.

Cichocki said Lubawa is ready to offer Armenia more defense “technologies and know-how.” Asked what specific types of other military equipment this and other Polish firms could produce in Armenia, he said: “I believe that the government of Armenia is very well aware of our offer, and we expect to hear answers to the questions we have posed long ago.”

Cichocki and Polish diplomats accompanying him met with Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian later in the day. Sargsian was cited by his press office as telling them that he sees “no obstacles” to deepening relations between the Polish and Armenian defense ministries. No other details were reported.