The Ministry of Defense has deemed the transfer of seven Black Hawk helicopters from Uzbekistan to the United States unacceptable.
In a statement, the ministry called on the US not to obstruct the transfer of these helicopters to Afghanistan and to hand them over to the Afghan people.
Enayatullah Khwarazmi, the ministry’s spokesperson, said: “Neighboring countries should also respect the rights of Afghans. We urge the US not to create obstacles in returning all these helicopters to Afghanistan but to deliver them to the Afghans.”
Previously, Uzbek media had reported that seven Black Hawk helicopters, which were transferred to Uzbekistan following the fall of the previous Afghan government, were handed over to the US which was disclosed in a ceremony at the Uzbek embassy in Washington.
After the collapse of the previous government, 46 Afghan military aircraft and helicopters were moved to Uzbekistan. The Ministry of Defense spokesperson also stated that before the Islamic Emirate regained power, there were 164 military aircraft in Afghanistan, of which 81 remain.
“Uzbekistan should have reached an agreement with Kabul, but it did not and directly handed over Afghanistan’s assets to the United States,” said Hadi Quraishi, a military analyst.
“The Afghan government should start negotiations with the US instead of pressuring Uzbekistan. Additionally, it should organize and manage extensive negotiations with Uzbekistan so that, as a result, the military equipment that belongs to Afghanistan and remains in Uzbekistan is returned to the Afghans,” said Fazl Rahman Oria, a political analyst.
Meanwhile, the US president has consistently described leaving military equipment in Afghanistan as an unwise decision. However, the spokesperson for the caretaker government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has asserted that the leftover US military equipment in Afghanistan belongs to the Islamic Emirate.