Kazakhstan interested in expanding cooperation with NATO

Kazakhstan Defense Minister Adilbek Dzhaksybekov met with NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai and new NATO officer on interaction with Central Asia Alexander Vinnikov, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the press-service of Kazakhstan Defense Ministry. “We are interested in expansion of participation of divisions of NATO member-countries and partners in trainings and count on NATO’s support in this issue,” the press-service cites Dzhaksybekov. The Minister was talking about The Steppe Eagle peacemaking training held at the territory of Kazakhstan. According to the Ministry, starting from 2012, the training is held in the spirit of the Partnership for Peace and is participated by militarymen of Kazakhstan, the U.S., Great Britain, Tajikistan, as well as representatives of Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan, France, Ukraine and Switzerland. Dzhaksybekov welcomed revival of the officer’s activities on interaction in the region. He expressed confidence that this would promote effective coordination of cooperation between Kazakhstan and NATO. “Kazakhstan’s interaction priority in cooperation with NATO lays in training of peacemaking divisions for interoperability. The practical angle is aimed at development of the national peacemaking potential, participation in the joint trainings and exchange of experience in planning, performance and comprehensive provision for peacekeeping operations,” Kazakhstan Defense Minister stressed. NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai said that Kazakhstan was NATO’s most active partner in the region. “North-Atlantic Treaty Alliance highly evaluates the level of preparedness of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan. We are interested in further enhancement of the bilateral defense cooperation and will render all the necessary support from our side,” Appathurai stressed during the meeting. According to the Ministry’s press-service, first Central Asian Partnership for Peace training center (KAZCENT) was opened in Kazakhstan’s Military Institute of Ground Forces to train Kazakhstan militarymen in compliance with NATO methods and standards. KAZCENT held over 30 events with participation of militaryment of Kazakhstan, NATO member-countries and partners, including trainings like English military terminology in multinational operations, NATO administrative procedures and Military-civilian interaction. Earlier Kazakhstan Defense Minister said that Kazakhstan had a strong intention to send its peacekeeping unit to join UN missions. In this relation the Ministry is working on the legislative base on participation of Kazakhstan militarymen in UN missions. The Ministry, however, declared that Kazakhstan peacemakers would not take part in the missions causing mixed public reaction.