Uzbekistan Enhancing Military and Technical Cooperation with Pakistan

Uzbekistan, Tashkent, 5 July / corr. Trend T.Zhukov / General Tarik Majid, the head of the Pakistani Armed Forces' Unified Committee of chief-staff, met with Ruslan Mirzayev, the Uzbek Defense Minister, Trend special correspondent reported from Tashkent.

"It was especially noted during the talks that cooperation between Uzbekistan and Pakistan successively develops in all fields, including military and military and technical fields motivated by the agreements reached at the meetings of the heads of Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Particularly, President Islam Kerimov's visit to Pakistan in May 2006 and Pakistani President Parvez Musharraf's visit to Uzbekistan in March 2005 created stable legal base for further development of bilateral relations in line with contemporary demands and national interests," the Uzbek Defense Ministry said on 4 July.

Uzbekistan and Pakistan cooperate to struggle against terrorism, extremism, contraband of drugs and other threats. A protocol was signed on exchange of ratification documents for inter-governmental agreement on cooperation in the struggle with international terrorism to come into effect during President Kerimov's visit to Pakistan.

The Uzbek Defense Ministry told Trend that the meeting focused on issues to further extend the scale of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Pakistan in military and military and technical fields and to strengthen regional security. Exchange opinions were held on the current situation and prospects of cooperation in this field.

"Uzbekistan is one of important partners of Pakistan in Central Asia," Majid said at the meeting. "Relations between our nations have a deep history. Our common cultural values and similarity of traditions and customs bring our nations together. We believe that cooperation, based on mutual faith and respect and mutual interests, will be strengthen in all fields."

During the talks inter-departmental program was signed for further prospects, which defines concrete measures of bilateral military and military and technical cooperation.

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