Russia, Uzbekistan Sign Long-Term Military Partnership Agreement

Russia and Uzbekistan signed on Wednesday a military strategic partnership agreement set to run through 2030, demonstrating Moscow’s efforts to strengthen relations with the most populous nation in Central Asia amid increasing isolation from the West.

The agreement was signed on January 22 during Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov’s visit to Tashkent. Belousov and his Uzbek counterpart, Shukhrat Kholmukhamedov, formalized the pact, which includes a roadmap for 50 joint military activities scheduled for 2025 and broader strategic initiatives planned through 2030.

The signing ceremony marked a high point in Belousov’s visit, which included a bilateral meeting at Uzbekistan's Ministry of Defense headquarters.

At the meeting, Minister Kholmukhamedov highlighted the importance of Uzbek-Russian collaboration in defense.

“Cooperation between Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation in many areas serves to strengthen bilateral ties,” he said. 

Belousov, in turn, emphasized the historical and strategic significance of the partnership.

“Russia and Uzbekistan are strategic partners and long-standing friends,” he stated. “Our joint work has a significant impact on ensuring security in the Central Asian region, so we attach great importance to today’s meeting.”

Belousov also congratulated Kholmukhamedov on his recent appointment as Defense Minister and expressed confidence in the future of their collaboration. 

“This meeting marks the beginning of a new stage of cooperation between our countries in the defense sector,” he said.

While Uzbekistan maintains close economic ties with Russia, Tashkent has refrained from supporting Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Tashkent has avoided joining Russian-led alliances such as the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU or EEU) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Additionally, the Uzbek government has warned its citizens against participating as mercenaries in foreign conflicts, including Ukraine.

Russia, for its part, has steadily invested in its relationships with the Central Asian nation. The 2017 defense cooperation treaty between Russia and Uzbekistan laid the foundation for agreements on arms supplies, military assistance, and joint research and development. The new partnership agreement reinforces these commitments and aims to enhance regional security.