TASHKENT, October 12. . The first Minister of Defense of the Republic of Uzbekistan, retired General Rustam Akhmedov, died at the age of 82. The press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic reported.
“Rustam Urmanovich is one of those people who devoted more than 40 years of his life to the Armed Forces and did a lot for the country, ensuring security and protecting the peace of our people during the early years of the renaissance of the independent Uzbekistan National Army,” the statement said.
Akhmedov graduated from the Tashkent Tank Command School and the Armored Forces Military Academy. During the Soviet period, he held command positions in the Baltic Military District; at higher military schools in Tashkent and Samarkand; Formerly held the position of deputy commander – chief of staff of the Tashkent civil defense force. From 1991 to 1992, he simultaneously held the positions of Minister of Defense and Commander of the National Guard of the Independent Republic of Uzbekistan, and from 1992 to 1997 – Minister of Defense. From 1997 to 1998, he was Minister of Emergency Situations.
Since 1998, Akhmedov retired but continued to participate in the reform of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan. From 2018 to 2020, he worked as an advisor to the Minister of National Defense.
Awarded a number of Orders and Medals of the Soviet Union and the Republic of Uzbekistan. In 1993, he was awarded the Honorary Degree of Uzbekistan, in 1995 – the Order of Honor II class. In 2018, for his outstanding contribution to the development of the Uzbek national army, he was awarded the Order of Friendship.