Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived successful Kazakhstan connected Wednesday for a two-day sojourn aimed astatine strengthening ties with Central Asian countries amid tensions implicit the warfare successful Ukraine.
While Kazakhstan is simply a subordinate of the Moscow-led CSTO information alliance, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has expressed unease astir the Kremlin’s full-scale penetration of its neighbor, which helium has refused to publically endorse.
In an nonfiction for the pro-Kremlin Izvestia paper up of Putin’s visit, Tokayev reiterated his enactment for “peaceful dialogue” without straight mentioning Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Putin praised Kazakhstan’s “shared cultural, spiritual, and motivation values” successful an op-ed for a state-run Kazakh newspaper, pledging to further make “friendly and allied relations” with Astana.
Russian authorities media broadcast footage of Putin’s accomplishment successful Kazakhstan’s capital, wherever commercialized and vigor practice are expected to predominate discussions.
Recent months person seen friction successful the 2 countries’ relations, with Moscow banning definite Kazakh cultivation exports and Kazakhstan declining to articulation the BRICS economical bloc successful September.
Expanding BRICS has go a cardinal pillar of Russia’s overseas policy, with Putin positioning the radical arsenic a counterweight to what helium views arsenic Western planetary dominance.
Ukraine is expected to beryllium a cardinal taxable during Thursday’s acme of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), wherever Putin volition articulation leaders from different subordinate states to sermon information issues. According to Russian state-run quality bureau TASS, the discussions volition see Ukraine’s usage of long-range Western-supplied missiles to onslaught Russian territory.
Armenia volition beryllium notably absent, having suspended its CSTO rank implicit dissatisfaction with Russia’s deficiency of enactment during its caller clashes with Azerbaijan. Kremlin adjutant Yuri Ushakov has said Armenia remains a “fully-fledged member” and could instrumentality astatine immoderate time.
Putin and Tokayev volition besides absorption connected economical and vigor cooperation, including the imaginable operation of Kazakhstan’s archetypal atomic powerfulness plant, for which Russia’s state-owned Rosatom is simply a starring contender.
Kazakhstan, which accounts for 43% of planetary uranium production, does not presently run immoderate atomic reactors. Putin emphasized that Rosatom was “ready for caller large-scale projects with Kazakhstan.”
Several bilateral agreements are expected to beryllium signed during the visit, and some leaders volition code the media aboriginal connected Wednesday.
Putin’s sojourn highlights the strategical value of Central Asia to Moscow, arsenic the portion remains 1 of the fewer areas wherever the Russian person continues to support regular diplomatic engagements since the full-scale penetration of Ukraine.
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