Aimed at bolstering military collaboration with Central Asian nations, Army Chief General Manoj Pandey has embarked on an important four-day visit to Uzbekistan from April 15 – 18, 2024.
His itinerary includes inaugurating an IT lab established by India for the Uzbekistan Army and overseeing the fifth iteration of the Dustlik exercise, a joint endeavour between the two nations’ armed forces. Notably, both India and Uzbekistan are active members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO organization).
During his stay, General Pandey will engage with senior military leaders, including Uzbekistan’s Defence Minister Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov and Army Chief (Deputy Defence Minister) Major General Khalmukhamedov Shukhrat.
Additionally, he will pay homage at the memorial of Lal Bahadur Shastri, India’s second Prime Minister, in Tashkent, followed by a visit to the Victory Park commemorating Uzbekistan’s soldiers’ sacrifices in World War II. General Pandey will also inaugurate an IT lab established through collaborative efforts between India and the Uzbekistan Armed Forces Academy.
The Army Chief will visit the historical city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan and meet the Commander of the Central Military District there. And his talks with the Defence Minister of Uzbekistan and military commanders are very important for strong military cooperation between the two countries, said the Indian army. Along with this, this visit will open new avenues of cooperation between the two countries.
The highlight of General Pandey’s visit will be the Ex Dustlik (April 15-28) which started between the two countries from Monday and is being organized in Termez, Uzbekistan. On Thursday, the Army Chief himself will be present in Termez and will review the joint exercise of both the countries. This is the fifth edition of the annual Ex Dustlik exercise between the two countries. This exercise takes place one year in India and one year in Uzbekistan.
The special thing is that the armies of both the countries also participate in multinational military exercises organized under the banner of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Apart from India and Uzbekistan, Russia, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan also participate in SCO. From this year Iran has also become a part of the SCO organization.
As reported by Financial Express Online earlier, 45 soldiers and military officers of the Jat Regiment of the Indian Army are participating in the Dustlik exercise, including two women officers. Apart from this, 15 air warriors are also a part of this exercise. About 100 soldiers and air warriors from Uzbekistan are part of the exercise. According to the Indian Army, this exercise will help in building interoperability and friendly relations between the soldiers of the two countries.