TASHKENT (AA) - A military aid worth of 648 thousand U.S. dollars provided by Turkey was handed over to the Uzbek Military Forces on Tuesday.
Speaking at the ceremony held in Tashkent in this regard, Colonel Ercan Cindik, the military attache at the Turkish Embassy in Tashkent, said, ''besides multilateral relations, military and technical cooperation has been further improving between Turkey and Uzbekistan during the last 13 years especially after Uzbekistan acquired its independence. Uzbekistan has taken significant steps with the aim of creating a modern and sound army.''
Cindik added that Turkey's military assistance to Uzbekistan would continue in the coming years.
Meanwhile, Deputy Defense Minister Ilmir Sheyhutdinov of Uzbekistan said that Turkey had also assisted them in training of military personnel.
''The aid of Turkey will make a valuable contribution to development of military relations between our countries. Also, the aid will serve efforts to protect peace in the region and to further strengthen Uzbek army forces,'' Sheyhutdinov added.
The aid includes 16 Land Rover all-terrain vehicles and other military equipment.
(UK-ULG)
2004-12-21