India, Uzbekistan Discuss Military Cooperation During COAS Visit

Tashkent: In a bid to bolster military ties and explore avenues of cooperation, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande engaged in discussions with top Uzbekistan military officials during his visit to Tashkent on Tuesday.

General Pande held talks with Major General Khalmukhamedov Shukhrat Gayratjanovich, First Deputy Minister of Defence and Chief of the General Staff (CGS) of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan. The discussions centered on enhancing military cooperation between the two nations’ armies.

Additionally, the COAS met with Major General Burkhanov Ahmed Jamalovich, Deputy Minister and Chief of Air and Air Defence Forces of Uzbekistan, to explore opportunities for strengthening the existing defence relations between the Indian and Uzbek forces.

During his visit to the Armed Forces Museum in Tashkent, General Pande gained insights into Uzbekistan’s military history and achievements, spanning different historical epochs.

Paying homage to the late Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, General Pande laid a wreath at his monument in the Uzbek capital. He also visited Victory Park, which commemorates Uzbekistan’s contributions and sacrifices during the Second World War.

In a bid to understand Uzbekistan’s technological modernization efforts, General Pande visited the Centre for Innovative Technologies LLC, engaging with the directors of Defence Industrial Agencies of Uzbekistan.

The COAS is scheduled to visit Samarkand on Wednesday, where he will meet with the Commander of the Central Military District. The visit will culminate in Termez on April 18, where General Pande will witness the Joint Exercise DUSTLIK between the armed forces of India and Uzbekistan, highlighting their interoperability and camaraderie.

Furthermore, General Pande will visit the Termez Museum and the historical monuments of the Surkhandarya Region, providing him with firsthand insights into Uzbekistan’s rich cultural heritage.

The Indian Army emphasized that the visit aims to strengthen military cooperation between India and Uzbekistan while exploring new avenues of collaboration between the two nations.