RAWALPINDI (The Thursday Times) — Uzbekistan wants to draw on the experience of the Pakistan Air Force to sharpen its own air force, its defence minister told Pakistan’s air chief during talks on Saturday, as the two countries agreed to step up joint exercises and training exchanges.
Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, the Chief of the Air Staff, is on an official visit to Uzbekistan. He met Defence Minister Lieutenant General Botir Qudrathodjayev Bahromovich, and then Major General Burkhanov Akhmad Jamolovich, the deputy defence minister and commander of Uzbekistan’s Air Defence and Air Force, according to an official statement released on Saturday.
The talks with the defence minister covered regional security, existing defence ties, and prospects for institutional cooperation, the statement said. The minister praised the professionalism, operational skill, and combat capabilities of the Pakistan Air Force.
A fuller official account of the meeting said the Uzbek side expressed interest in benefiting from the PAF’s professional expertise, operational experience, and trained manpower to improve the readiness of its own air force.
Exercises, exchanges, and training
The second meeting, with the commander of Uzbekistan’s air force, focused on deepening cooperation through joint military exercises, structured professional exchanges, and capacity building. Sidhu pointed to room for cooperation in pilot training, the development of technical personnel, and aerospace technologies, according to the official account.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to improving operational readiness and to working together in emerging technologies by drawing on each other’s expertise and capabilities. Sidhu stressed what he called the deep-rooted brotherly ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
The statement did not give the length of the visit or say whether any agreements had been signed.
A busy week for Central Asia ties
The visit comes as Pakistan prepares to host foreign ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization, of which Uzbekistan is a member, in Islamabad on November 15 and 16. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will chair the meeting, which is expected to focus on regional connectivity, as The Thursday Times reported earlier.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan have been building closer economic and security ties in recent years, including plans for a railway link through Afghanistan that would give landlocked Uzbekistan a route to Pakistan’s seaports.
