Kazakh Defence Minister takes part in CIS Defence Ministers Council in Moscow

Kazakhstan’s Defence Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov has taken part in the Council of Defence Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow, Russia, Tengrinews reports citing the press service of Kazakhstan’s Defence Ministry.

Defence Ministers of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Uzbekistan attended the meeting of the CIS Defence Ministers Council in Moscow.

Among the topics covered at the meeting were the draft Concept of Military Cooperation between the countries of the Commonwealth until 2020, the development of air and space defense, strengthening the joint air defense system, engineering support of the armed forces of the CIS countries and joint celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory Day in 2015.

During his visit to Moscow last week, Imangali Tasmagambetov also had bilateral meetings with Azerbaijan’s and Kyrgyzstan’s Defence Ministers Zakir Gasanov and Abibilla Kudaiberidyev.

At the meeting with Zakir Gasanov, they discussed mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation between the defence ministries of the two countries. They agreed that arranging mutual visits, joint military drills and trainings of the navy and land forces would contribute to strengthening stability and security in the region and in the world. Approval of the Bilateral Cooperation Plan for 2015 was one of the important outcomes of the meeting.

During the meeting with Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Defense Abibilla Kudaiberidyev, Imangali Tasmagambetov called for further strengthening of the bilateral ties, and cooperation in the framework of the CIS, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

On the same day, Kazakhstan’s Defence Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov met with Armenian Defence Minister Seiran Oganyan and Tajikistan’s Minister of Defence Sherali Mirzo.

By Assel Satubaldina