TASHKENT, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Uzbek National Guard and the Chinese People's Armed Police Force concluded their two-week-long joint anti-terror exercise code-named "Cooperation-2019" at the Forish field training base in the Jizzakh region on Wednesday.
The high level and the quality of the joint exercise have strengthened the friendship and mutual trust between the National Guard of Uzbekistan and People's Armed Police Force of China, said Bakhodir Toshmatov, the commander of the Uzbek National Guard, at a ceremony marking the accomplishment of the joint drills.
The joint exercise has increased the ability of the forces to confront new threats and challenges, and to fight international terrorism and extremism, he said.
For his part, Wang Ning, commander of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force, said that China adheres to the path of peaceful development, develops global partnerships and contributes to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
The Chinese side regards Uzbekistan as an important strategic partner and is ready to make joint efforts with Uzbekistan to achieve common development and prosperity, as well as to achieve peace and stability in Central Asia, Wang said.
Wang also proposed to hold a similar joint exercise in China next year.
The two sides have identified new areas of cooperation, including training military specialists.
