Archive · 5 Aug 2026
India, Uzbekistan Hold Sixth Defence Cooperation Meeting in Tashkent
India and Uzbekistan are two countries that are friends and work together to keep people safe.
Their defence leaders met in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, to talk about how they can help each other.
They discussed training soldiers together and doing practice exercises.
In these exercises, soldiers learn to work as a team and stop people who break the rules or cause harm.
The two countries also talked about building equipment and sharing technology for their militaries.
They plan to hold these training exercises in both India and Uzbekistan.
In April 2026, the two countries already held a big exercise together called DUSTLIK.
DUSTLIK happened in a place called Namangan in Uzbekistan.
Soldiers and air force teams from both countries practised working together so they can help each other if there is ever trouble.
India and Uzbekistan held the sixth Joint Working Group meeting on defence cooperation in Tashkent, co-chaired by officials from both defence ministries.
Discussions covered joint training and exercises, capacity building, defence education, and setting up defence industries.
Joint training and exercises will include specialised modules with emphasis on counter-terrorism operations and interoperability, held in both countries.
Capacity-building efforts include reviewing and upgrading ongoing educational programmes and technical assistance, and talks on technology exchange and equipment maintenance.
The seventh edition of the joint exercise DUSTLIK was held from April 12 to 25, 2026, at the Gurumsaray Field Training Area in Namangan with contingents from the Mahar Regiment and Indian Air Force.
- Who
- Dinesh Kumar, Joint Secretary in India's Ministry of Defence, and Lieutenant Colonel Sukhrobjon Sodrikjonovich Sirojov of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Defence, representing their respective governments.
- What
- The sixth Joint Working Group meeting on defence cooperation, covering joint training and exercises, capacity building, defence education, and setting up defence industries.
- When
- The meeting was held on Wednesday (exact date not stated); the related seventh DUSTLIK exercise ran from April 12 to 25, 2026.
- Where
- Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for the meeting; the DUSTLIK exercise was held at the Gurumsaray Field Training Area in Namangan, Uzbekistan.
- Why
- To deepen India-Uzbekistan defence cooperation, improve counter-terrorism operations and interoperability, and align bilateral security and critical resource partnerships.
- Meeting
- Sixth Joint Working Group meeting on defence cooperation
- Location
- Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Co-chairs
- Dinesh Kumar (India) and Lt Col Sukhrobjon Sodrikjonovich Sirojov (Uzbekistan)
- Topics
- Joint training and exercises, capacity building, defence education, defence industries
- Joint exercise
- DUSTLIK (seventh edition)
- DUSTLIK dates
- April 12–25, 2026
- DUSTLIK venue
- Gurumsaray Field Training Area, Namangan, Uzbekistan
- Working Group established
- 2019