Uzbekistan and Russia signed a military cooperation plan between their defense ministries for 2025 and a strategic military partnership program for 2026−2030, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Defense announced.
The signing ceremony took place in Tashkent on 22 January, with ministers Shuhrat Kholmuhamedov and Andrey Belousov signing the documents.
The cooperation plan for 2025 includes 50 joint activities covering all areas of military collaboration between the two countries, Russia’s Ministry of Defense stated.
During a bilateral meeting at Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Defense headquarters, the ministers discussed the state of military cooperation and prospects for its development.
Belousov highlighted the strategic partnership between Russia and Uzbekistan, describing the two nations as “longstanding friends.” He noted that their military collaboration “reached a high level of mutual understanding and continues to expand”.
“This is especially important in the current international climate. The leaders of Russia and Uzbekistan place great emphasis on strengthening ties between their security agencies. Our joint efforts significantly contribute to ensuring security in Central Asia, which is why today’s meeting holds great importance,” Belousov stressed.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev also received Russia’s defense minister, president’s press service said.
Discussions focused on strengthening Uzbek-Russian relations in line with agreements reached during Russian president Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Uzbekistan in May 2024.
The sides considered expanding cooperation between the defense ministries in accordance with the newly adopted strategic documents.