The defense doctrine of Uzbekistan does not provide for the deployment of foreign military bases and facilities in the country, the press service of the Uzbek Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti on Monday.
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that the United States could deploy the troops it is withdrawing from Afghanistan in Central Asia. According to some military and representatives of the administration of US President Joe Biden, it would be best to deploy troops in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which border Afghanistan, which allows you to quickly get into the country if necessary, the newspaper notes.
“The fundamental documents in the field of defense have clear and precise answers to these questions – the prevention of the deployment of foreign military bases and facilities on its territory”, – the agency’s interlocutor said, commenting on the Wall Street Journal material.
According to him, this principle is laid down both in the defense doctrine of the republic, adopted in 2018, and in the Constitution and the country’s foreign policy concept from 2012.
The representative of the department also added that the policy of Uzbekistan in the field of defense is based on the principle of non-participation of the country’s armed forces in peacekeeping operations and military conflicts abroad.
From 2001 to 2005, the United States used the Khanabad military airfield in the Kashkadarya region of Uzbekistan, located 10 kilometers east of the city of Karshi. However, in 2005, at the request of Tashkent, the United States withdrew the military, who were transferred to the Manas airbase in Kyrgyzstan.
Earlier, the US administration announced that by May 1 it will begin and by September 11 will complete the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in full coordination with the allies. In 2020, the United States and representatives of the radical Taliban movement signed in Doha the first peace agreement in more than 18 years of war. It provides for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan in 14 months and the beginning of an inter-Afghan dialogue after the exchange of prisoners. Since the signing of the agreement, the Taliban have repeatedly accused Washington of violating the agreement.