Army Chief General Manoj Pande leaves for 4-day visit to Uzbekistan

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande departed on 15 April 2024 for his four-day visit to Uzbekistan. This visit of COAS General Manoj Pande will be from 15 to 18 April 2024.

Defence cooperation between the two countries will be strengthened:

• The visit of COAS General Manoj Pande is an important step towards strengthening defence cooperation between India and Uzbekistan.
• General Manoj Pande is scheduled to engage in discussions with the senior defence officials of Uzbekistan on April 15. Top defence leaders of Uzbekistan are participating in this meeting which would mainly include the following:
  • Defence Minister Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov,
  • First Deputy Defence Minister and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Khalmukhamedov Shukhrat Geretjanovich
  • Deputy Minister and Chief of Air Defence and Air Defence Forces Major General Burkhanov Ahmed Jamalovich.
• These talks have an important role in promoting stronger military cooperation.
• Apart from this, the itinerary also includes a visit to the Armed Forces Museum followed by the Host Imam Ensemble. It provides information about Uzbekistan's rich military history and achievements.

Itinerary of COAS General Manoj Pande:

• On April 16, 2024, the Army Chief would pay tribute to the second PM of India, late Lal Bahadur Shastri by paying floral tributes at the memorial.
• He would then visit the Victory Park commemorating Uzbekistan's contribution and sacrifice in the Second World War.
• April 16 events include a tour of the Center for Innovative Technologies LLC. Where the Army Chief would be provided information about Uzbekistan's initiatives in defence technology and innovations. After this, General Manoj Pande will visit the Uzbekistan Armed Forces Academy. General Manoj Pande will inaugurate the IT laboratory in this academy with the assistance of India.
• General Pande will meet the Commander of the Central Military District during his visit to Samarkand on April 17, 2024.
• This visit of General Manoj Pande will end in Termez on April 18, 2024. Where the Army Chief is also scheduled to witness the joint exercise between the armed forces of India and Uzbekistan – Dustlik. It will highlight the interoperability and cordiality developed between the two countries.
• The Army Chief will have a first-hand view of Uzbekistan's glorious past and cultural landscape. Under this, he will also visit the Termez Museum and historical monuments of Surkhandarya region.
• The purpose of this visit of General Manoj Pande is to find new avenues of cooperation between the two countries. Along with this, military cooperation between India and Uzbekistan is to be strengthened.

'Dustlik' joint military exercise 2024 organized:

• 'Dustlik' joint military exercise between the two countries is being conducted in Termez district of Uzbekistan from April 15.
• Exercise Dustlik 2024 is the 5th edition of the joint military exercise 'Dustlik' between India and Uzbekistan.

About Lal Bahadur Shastri:

• Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on October 2, 1904 in Mughalsarai (now Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Nagar), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. He was the second Prime Minister of independent India and also a leader of the Indian National Congress Party.
• On January 10, 1966, Russian Prime Minister Kosygin offered Lal Bahadur Shastri to mediate. His Pakistani counterpart Ayub Khan signed the Tashkent Declaration along with Shastri, marking a significant moment in Indo-Pak relations.
• Lal Bahadur Shastri died of a heart attack on 11 January 1966 in Tashkent. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1966.
• Born: October 2, 1904
• Place of Birth: Mughalsarai (Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Nagar), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
• Father: Sharda Prasad Srivastava
• Mother: Ramdulari Devi
• Wife: Lalita Devi
• Death: January 11, 1966
• Monument: Vijay Ghat, New Delhi
• Political association: Indian National Congress
• Movement: Indian Independence Movement

About Uzbekistan:

• After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Uzbekistan gained independence and emerged as a sovereign nation in Central Asia.
• Central Asia is a center of attraction for many superpowers due to its geographical location and rich mineral and hydrocarbon resources.
• Uzbekistan's geography, being located in the middle of Central Asia, is of great importance for its security and strategic potential.
• Capital: Tashkent
• Currency: Som
• President: Shavkat Mirziyoyev
• Prime Minister: Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov