Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Russian Minister of Defense Andrei Belousov held talks with the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Major General Shukhrat Khalmukhamedov, according to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense.

During the meeting, Minister Belousov emphasized the invaluable contribution of the Uzbek SSR to the victory in the Great Patriotic War. He noted that the participation of the Uzbek military contingent in the Victory Parade on Red Square was both appropriate and deeply symbolic.

"We will never forget the price paid for Victory. We highly value Uzbekistan’s contribution to supporting the rear and providing military-technical assistance to Soviet forces during the war," the Russian minister stated.

For his part, Shukhrat Khalmukhamedov expressed gratitude to the Russian side for the warm welcome and the arrangements made for Uzbek servicemen to take part in the commemorative events in Moscow.

"It was a great honor for our soldiers to march across Red Square. We must preserve our historical memory — without the past, there is no future," said the head of Uzbekistan’s defense ministry.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides signed a plan for implementing the Strategic Partnership Program in the Military Sphere between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Uzbekistan for the years 2026–2030.