British Armed Forces Minister visits Uzbekistan
UK Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, met Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulaziz Kamilov to discuss strengthening of UK-Uzbekistan military cooperation.
During his first official visit to Uzbekistan on 21 and 22 September, the delegation led by James Heappey met the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulaziz Kamilov, President’s Special Representative on Afghanistan Ismatulla Irgashev, Minister of Defence Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov and Deputy Commander of the National Guard Mamirjon Ganiyev to discuss strengthening of military cooperation between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Uzbekistan on Defence and Security issues. They also exchanged views on the assessment of the security situation in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan’s support to UK’s Programme for Relocation Assistance for eligible Afghans.
As part of the visit, the UK Minister of the Armed Forces also was invited to a tour at the Academy of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan. He finished the first day of the visit by laying wreath at the Ode to Fortitude Monument at the Victory Memorial Complex in Tashkent.
In the interview for national TV Channel “Uzbekistan 24”, when asked to describe the visit in three words, the Minister called the day of meetings ‘friendly, productive and hopeful’.
On the second day of the visit, James Heappey and the delegation took a trip to Termez to Uzbek-Afghan border:
The UK values our bilateral defence relationship with Uzbekistan. We have a shared interest in the security and stability of Central Asia.
We have both worked hard to sustain our military cooperation through the pandemic. We are pleased to broaden and deepen that cooperation by adopting expanded Military Cooperation Plans with both Ministry of Defence and National Guard of Uzbekistan.
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