Defence Cooperation Keeps Uzbeks Close to Russia
Defence Cooperation Keeps Uzbeks Close to Russia
By providing weapons, military technology and information to assuage the Uzbek leadership’s fear of external and domestic threats, Russia is consolidating a close relationship that developed after Tashkent broke with the West.
In the latest such move, Moscow has agreed to an information exchange to prevent the proliferation of Russian-made Igla and Strela hand-held surface-to-air missiles. The deal was signed in the Russian capital on May 18.
These portable missiles can be devastating weapons in the hands of insurgents, and have been used to shoot down helicopters in many recent conflicts.
Under the agreement, Russia and Uzbekistan will exert tighter control over the purchase, deployment and accessibility of Igla and Strela missiles within their armies and elite forces. They also agreed not to allow the proliferation of this kind of weapon, and will prevent sales to third countries and private arms dealers.
NBCentralAsia observers say the agreement shows how much Russian-Uzbek cooperation on defence technologies has grown in the last two years, just as relations with the United States have cooled markedly.
In July 2005, the Uzbek government asked the US military to leave the Karshi-Khanabad airbase in the southwest of the countr. The move reflected Uzbek anger at the US request for an independent investigation into the May 2005 killings in Andijan.
After the US military had gone, analysts began speculating that Russian troops might be move into the Khanabad base. That has not happened, but in autumn 2005, Russia and Uzbekistan signed a pact agreeing to defend one another in the event of attack and allow each other to use defence facilities.
After ten years of estrangement, Uzbekistan rejoined a security grouping of former Soviet states, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, CSTO, in August 2006. The CSTO, which also includes Russia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia and Belarus, is often compared with NATO in terms of its aims and responsibilities.
Political observer Alisher Afzal says the rapprochement with Russia means that Tashkent can easily weather the embargo on defence imports which the European Union has imposed since autumn 2005.
An NBCentralAsia analyst based in Tashkent says Uzbekistan can also gain access to intelligence reports and analysis from the Russian intelligence agencies, as welll to modern weapons.
Political scientist Ismail Ibrahimov says the Uzbek government is particularly frightened of external threats and has traditionally attached great importance to defence cooperation. “This stems from the government’s constant fear of the possibility of violent regime change,” he said.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
In the latest such move, Moscow has agreed to an information exchange to prevent the proliferation of Russian-made Igla and Strela hand-held surface-to-air missiles. The deal was signed in the Russian capital on May 18.
These portable missiles can be devastating weapons in the hands of insurgents, and have been used to shoot down helicopters in many recent conflicts.
Under the agreement, Russia and Uzbekistan will exert tighter control over the purchase, deployment and accessibility of Igla and Strela missiles within their armies and elite forces. They also agreed not to allow the proliferation of this kind of weapon, and will prevent sales to third countries and private arms dealers.
NBCentralAsia observers say the agreement shows how much Russian-Uzbek cooperation on defence technologies has grown in the last two years, just as relations with the United States have cooled markedly.
In July 2005, the Uzbek government asked the US military to leave the Karshi-Khanabad airbase in the southwest of the countr. The move reflected Uzbek anger at the US request for an independent investigation into the May 2005 killings in Andijan.
After the US military had gone, analysts began speculating that Russian troops might be move into the Khanabad base. That has not happened, but in autumn 2005, Russia and Uzbekistan signed a pact agreeing to defend one another in the event of attack and allow each other to use defence facilities.
After ten years of estrangement, Uzbekistan rejoined a security grouping of former Soviet states, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, CSTO, in August 2006. The CSTO, which also includes Russia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia and Belarus, is often compared with NATO in terms of its aims and responsibilities.
Political observer Alisher Afzal says the rapprochement with Russia means that Tashkent can easily weather the embargo on defence imports which the European Union has imposed since autumn 2005.
An NBCentralAsia analyst based in Tashkent says Uzbekistan can also gain access to intelligence reports and analysis from the Russian intelligence agencies, as welll to modern weapons.
Political scientist Ismail Ibrahimov says the Uzbek government is particularly frightened of external threats and has traditionally attached great importance to defence cooperation. “This stems from the government’s constant fear of the possibility of violent regime change,” he said.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
