Union Government of India, Minister of Defence Shri Rajnath Singh visit to Republic of Uzbekistan

[Hindustani78]

03-November, 2019 11:24 IST

Delhi
PIB-PTI

Union Government of India, Minister of Defence Shri Rajnath Singh Held Bilateral Consultations with Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Defence Major General Bakhodir Nizamovich Kurbanov During Union Government of India, Minister of Defence Shri Rajnath Singh visit to Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan from 1st November 2019 - 3rd November 2019. This was the First Visit by Union Government of India, Minister of Defence to Republic of Uzbekistan in About 15 years.

During the Meeting, Union of India's Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment Expressed Satisfaction at the Enhanced Level of Defence Engagement between Union of India's Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment since the Visit of the then the Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Defence to Union of India in September 2018.

This Enhanced Level of Engagement is Reflected in the First Ever Meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation in February 2019, visit of Union Government of India, Defence Secretary in March 2019 and the First-Ever Defence-Industry Workshop Organised in Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan in September 2019.

Union of India's Establishment has Offered a Concessional Procurement of Goods and Services for Uzbekistan Establishment from Union of India Establishment. The Direct Exchanges related to Training, Capacity Building and Education between the Indian Armed Forces and Uzbekistan Armed Forces has also witnessed a Significant Upswing.

The Ministers of Defence of Union of India’s Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment Agreed that the Union of India - Republic of Uzbekistan would Continue to Work Together to Further Raise their Level of Engagement in the Defense Sphere in keeping with Strategic Partnership between Union of India’s Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment.

This Would be based on Higher Level of Mutual Trust and Respect between Union of India’s Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment and on their Shared Views and Approaches on a Range of Regional, international and Global Issues, including Promoting Regional Stability and Security and Combatting Military Grade Extremism and Terrorism.

Following the Meeting between Ministers of Defence of Union of India’s Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment, the two sides Union of India’s Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment concluded a MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Military Medicine between the Indian Armed Forces and Uzbekistan Armed Forces.

In the Coming Days, Union of India’s Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment will continue Discussions at the Expert Level to Further Enhance their Exchanges in this Sphere.

Two Institution-to-Institution MoUs on Training and Capacity building between Institutes of Higher Military Learning of Union of India’s Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment were also signed. The MoU is a byproduct of interactions Emanating from the MoU on Military Education signed between Union of India’s Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment in October 2018.

Union Government of India, Minister of Defence Shri Rajnath Singh and Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Defence Major General Bakhodir Nizamovich Kurbanov also witnessed the First-Ever Exchange over a video-link between College of Defence Management in Secunderabad, Union of India and Academy of Armed Forces in Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan.

Union Government of India, Minister of Defence Shri Rajnath Singh and Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Defence Major General Bakhodir Nizamovich Kurbanov jointly presided over the “Curtain Raiser” of the first-ever India-Uzbekistan Joint Exercise “Dustlik 2019” on 3rd November 2019.

The Joint Exercise will be Conducted from 4th November 2019 – 13th November 2019 at Chirchiq Training Area near Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan and will be focused on Counter-Terror Operations on all the levels, An Area in which the Union of India’s Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment share a common concern.

In the Joint Exercise, An Indian Army contingent will train along with Uzbekistan Army. The Joint Exercise will Enable Sharing of Best Practices and Experiences between the Armed Forces of Union of India’s Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment and would lead to Greater Operational Effectiveness.

Union Government of India, Minister of Defence Shri Rajnath Singh invited Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Defence Major General Bakhodir Nizamovich Kurbanov to visit Union of India to continue this High-Level Political Military Dialogue between Union of India’s Establishment and Uzbekistan Establishment.