Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has issued a decree appointing a new Minister of Defense.

According to the decree, Shukhrat Khalmukhamedov has been appointed as the Minister of Defense of Uzbekistan. Prior to this, he served as the First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Khalmukhamedov succeeds Bahodir Kurbanov, who has been appointed as the Chairman of the State Security Service (SSS).

Former SSS Chairman Abdusalom Azizov has been reassigned to the Security Council Secretariat under the President of Uzbekistan.