Bishkek, April 28
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday announced the completion of a key capacity-building project for the Kyrgyz Armed Forces, involving the provisioning of 12 sets of computer systems each at the IT Centres of the Kyrgyz Military Institute in Bishkek and Military Unit 36806 in Osh.
The announcement was made during the Union Minister's visit to Kyrgyzstan, where he participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting and held bilateral discussions with regional partners.
According to officials from the Indian Army, the project also included the successful installation of wargaming software and on-the-job training for personnel of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces, significantly enhancing their technical and operational capabilities.
The initiative reflects India's continued commitment to strengthening defence cooperation with Kyrgyzstan through training, technology transfer and capacity development.
In addition, the Defence Minister stated that the provisioning of a containerised tubular shooting range to Kyrgyzstan is currently in progress, further expanding bilateral defence collaboration.
Earlier, Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Kazakhstan's Defence Minister, Lieutenant General Dauren Kosanov, in Bishkek on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting.
The meeting focused on strengthening defence cooperation and enhancing strategic ties between India and Kazakhstan within the broader framework of regional security and collaboration.
The Defence Minister and his Kazakh counterpart also exchanged gifts during their meeting.
Singh also met Kyrgyzstan's Defence Minister, Major General Mukambetov Ruslan Mustafaevich, and discussed ways to deepen bilateral defence engagement.
In a post on X, Singh said that he had an "extremely productive meeting" with his Kyrgyz counterpart, noting that India places strong emphasis on strengthening its partnership with the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Defence Minister further stated that the bilateral cooperation between the two countries spans multiple sectors, with defence collaboration forming a key pillar of the relationship.
"Had an extremely productive meeting with Kyrgyzstan's Defence Minister Major General Mukambetov Ruslan Mustafaevich on the sidelines of SCO Defence Ministers' meet in Bishkek. India and the Kyrgyz Republic are Strategic Partners that enjoy shared values of Democracy, Development, Culture and Rich Heritage," Singh stated in his post.
"India attaches high priority to developing its partnership with Kyrgyz Republic. The bilateral cooperation between the two countries spreads across diverse sectors and Defence Cooperation forms an important pillar of our relations," the post added.
The Defence Minister also gifted two sets of BHISHM Cube modular trauma care systems to his Kyrgyz counterpart, showcasing India's commitment to humanitarian aid.
Singh also met Belarus' Defence Minister, Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin, on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting, where the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.
In a post on X, Singh expressed delight over the meeting and highlighted that the talks focused on enhancing defence ties between India and Belarus.
"Delighted to meet the Minister of Defence of Belarus, Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin, during the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Bishkek. Our talks focused on strengthening defence cooperation between both the countries," the post read.
The defence minister is leading the high-level Indian delegation to the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting here.
- ANI
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