Putin and Nazarbayev to hold talks in Astana

The Presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan, Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbayev, will discuss bilateral relations and the development of the EEU in Astana. 

The Russian president said that the status of a state visit "emphasizes the level and nature" of relations, which are not just confidence, but "partnership-based in every sense."

Putin acknowledged that the global economy and the economies of both countries are going through hard times, noting that trade turnover between Russia and Kazakhstan in ruble terms is increasing. He also drew attention to the large volume of mutual investments.

The Kazakh president, in his turn, assured his Russian counterpart that Kazakhstan "has been and remains the closest reliable neighbor" of Russia. Nazarbayev also paid attention to the development of the EEU. "I think we are on the right track," RIA Novosti cited him as saying.