Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) meeting in Uzbekistan next month.
His three-day visit, starting November 1, will see him leading the Indian delegation at the heads of states level meeting of the SCO. The Minister will also hold bilateral discussions with Uzbekistan counterpart during the tour.
Two Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) covering subjects like military education with Uzbekistan are also likely to be inked during his stay.
The first joint field training exercise between the two Armies, Exercise Dustlik-2019, is scheduled to be from November 04 to 13 at Chirchiq training area of Uzbekistan, Army sources said. The Indian contingent of 45 personnel from a Battalion of the Punjab regiment will arrive the exercise location on November 3 wherein the initial days will be utilised for “operational orientation with the exercise setting and terrain.” “On that day, Singh is likely to meet the Indian contingent before returning to India,” an Army source said.
Sources said that Dustlik-2019 will involve conduct of joint counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations exercise in a mountainous, rural and urban scenario under United Nations (UN) mandate. As part of the exercise, the Indian Army will conduct training on cordon and search operations, room intervention and mobile vehicle check post while the Uzbek Army will train on tactical drills and survival sills in mountains and deserts. “The exercise will conclude with a 24 hour exercise under depiction of near actual operational situations,” sources added.