Russia, Kazakhstan sign 3-year strategic military partnership program
ASTANA. Nov 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Kazakh Defense Minister Nurlan Yermekbayev signed a program of strategic military partnership between Russia and Kazakhstan for 2019-2021 in Astana on Thursday.
The defense ministers also approved a cooperation plan between the Russian and Kazakh Defense Ministries for 2019, an Interfax correspondent reported from the signing ceremony.
Moscow and Astana are fulfilling "a very big, wide cooperation plan," Shoigu said. This plan includes education, personnel training, military and military-technical cooperation, especially joint drills, participation in major joint exhibitions, and forums both in Russia and Kazakhstan, he said.
Russia is a strategic partner and an ally, Yermekbayev said.
"We are trying to contribute to the steady development of relations in all areas," he said.
The program signed in Astana envisages efforts to systematize medium-term military and military-technical cooperation, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters.