The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan has denied reports that the country agreed to return Afghanistan’s military helicopters and aircraft.
A spokesperson for the Uzbek Foreign Ministry stressed to domestic media that Tashkent’s position on this matter has not changed and described the reports as baseless.
Earlier, some reports had suggested that Uzbekistan had agreed to return Afghanistan’s helicopters and military planes.
Akhror Burkhanov, spokesperson for the Uzbek Foreign Ministry, said: “These reports do not correspond to reality. Uzbekistan’s position remains unchanged. This is fake news.”
Hamidullah, a military affairs expert, stated: “These helicopters went to Uzbekistan from Afghanistan, not from the United States. If the U.S. has any claims, they are with us. Uzbekistan has no right to hand over Afghanistan’s helicopters unilaterally to America.”
The return of military helicopters and aircraft that were transferred to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan during the fall of the former government has been a repeated demand of the Islamic Emirate over the past four years.
Just yesterday, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate reiterated in a meeting at his ministry’s headquarters that Afghanistan is in urgent need of these helicopters and planes.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate, said: “Since proper management requires resources, we call on those countries where our helicopters were transferred four years ago to return them to the Afghan government for use in rescue operations.”
Janat Faheem Chikri, a political analyst, remarked: “The refusal to return Afghanistan’s helicopters is concerning and against the principles of good neighborliness. We expected that these helicopters would be returned.”
Following the collapse of the previous government, a total of 46 Afghan military aircraft and helicopters were transferred to Uzbekistan. On 18 Dalw 1403, Uzbek media reported that the country had handed over seven of these helicopters to the United States.
Some other Afghan military equipment was transferred to Tajikistan, though its fate remains unknown.
