Uzbekistan plans confidence-building military dialogue with Afghanistan

The draft document provides for the development of active military-political dialogue aimed at strengthening confidence-building measures in the region. This would include exploring options for military and military-technical cooperation with Afghanistan as part of broader regional security efforts.

Under the proposed timeline, by June 2026 Uzbekistan is expected to prepare and coordinate proposals on military and military-technical cooperation with Central Asian states, including Afghanistan. These proposals would then be submitted to the Secretariat of the Security Council under the President of Uzbekistan for review.

In September 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is tasked with formally sending cooperation proposals to the Afghan side. If a positive response is received, relevant joint activities with foreign partners would be carried out between October and December, subject to coordination with the Security Council Secretariat.

The draft decree also emphasizes the need to further strengthen the Armed Forces, the country’s defense capability, and overall military potential, taking into account complex and evolving global geopolitical processes.

Separately, Uzbekistan’s military standing in the region remains strong. According to data from the Global Firepower portal, which assesses the military capabilities of countries worldwide, Uzbekistan’s armed forces were ranked the strongest in Central Asia in 2026. The country placed 32nd globally by the size of its available manpower and 49th in terms of defense budget.