Kazakhstan and U.S. discussing further military cooperation

Kazakhstan and the U.S. are discussing further military cooperation. Bilateral defense consultations will be held in Astana in November, Tengrinews.kz reports citing press-service of Kazakhstan Defense Ministry. Minister Alidbek Dzhaksybekov held a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Kenneth J. Fairfax. “Speaking of interaction in defense and security sectors, the parties emphasized an importance of the 5-year Cooperation Plan for working in such areas as peacemaking, personnel training, technical support and development of the military education system. The current plan expires in the end of 2012. Representatives of defense ministries of Kazakhstan and the U.S. have already started discussion of the draft Plan for 2013-2017. Bilateral defense consultations will be held in Astana in November,” press-service of Kazakhstan Defense Ministry stated. Minister Dzhaksybekov noted that development of the country’s defense-industrial complex is currently one of the main priorities. Special attention in this area is given to cooperation with foreign partners, including NATO member-states. “It is very pleasant that representatives of both of our countries a dynamically developing cooperation in this direction,” Dzhksybekov said and invited U.S. military-industrial companies to the international exhibition of armament and military equipment KADEX-2012. “Kazakhstan is viewing provision of its security in terms of good-neighborly and peaceful policy maintained by leaders of our country,” the press-service cited Defense Minister. Dzhaksybekov also stressed that Nursultan Nazarbayev is giving special attention to development and modernization of Kazakhstan Armed Forces and has set a task to create a compact highly-mobile and technically equipped army. “In this relation we are attaching great importance to studying best practices of the U.S. in defense and application of armed forces,” Adilbek Dzhaksybekov said.