Russian Defence Ministry announces joint exercises with Kazakhstan

Russia and Kazakhstan will exchange military contingents for participation in exercises to be held in each other’s territory this year, Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said at the beginning of Russian-Kazakh defense policy coordination consultations.

Kazakhstan’s military contingent will participate in the strategic command-staff exercise Center-2019 in Russia, he noted. In exchange, Russian military personnel will be delegated for taking part in the Shygys exercise in Kazakhstan, Fomin said.

He added that the two countries’ military personnel are to perform "joint combat training tasks within the framework of the exercise to be held in accordance with the CSTO’s package of plans entitled Combat Brotherhood," TASS reported.

In particular, he emphasized the International Army Games, stressing the "active participation of the Kazakh army’s teams in these large-scale competitions."