Baku, Azerbaijan, March 29
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
Uzbekistan and Russia signed a contract on supply of more than 10 Mi-35 helicopters, Deputy Director of the Russian Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation Vladimir Drozhzhov said on March 29.
“We signed a contract on supply of Mi-35 helicopters in line with the previous agreements. The military-technical cooperation with Uzbekistan is developing dynamically. We are talking about more than 10 helicopters,” he said.
Uzbekistan and Russia signed an agreement on military-technical cooperation back in 2016, implying the supply of arms to Tashkent at domestic prices. Thus, Uzbekistan has become the only CIS country with such privileges, not being a member of the CSTO and the Customs Union.
On March 28, defense ministries of Uzbekistan and Belarus also signed an agreement on cooperation in the military sphere.
“Uzbekistan Defense Minister Abdusalom Azizov met with Belarus Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov in Tashkent on March 28,” the press service of the Belarus Defense Ministry stated.
According to the Uzbekistan Defense Ministry, a lot of work has been done to expand the legal framework for military cooperation in a short period. In particular, a memorandum on cooperation between the Uzbekistan Academy of the Armed Forces and the Belarus Military Academy of the Armed Forces has been signed. Currently, the military cooperation plan for 2018 between the defense departments of the two countries is being implemented.
Ravkov also held talks with Viktor Makhmudov, Secretary of the Security Council under the President of Uzbekistan.
It was also reported earlier that the UK will send more than $1 billion to support the armed forces of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.