Russia will be doing everything in its powers to support Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a news conference following talks with his Kazakh counterpart on Thursday.
As he dwelt on January’s events in Kazakhstan, Putin said that Tokayev was doing everything in his powers to return the situation to normal.
"We see life in Kazakhstan return onto a stable and calm track. Society entirely supports the leadership’s policy of addressing large-scale tasks. For our part we, Russia, will be doing everything to support the president of Kazakhstan," Putin said.
He voiced the certainty that Russian-Kazakh cooperation would keep growing and expanding.
"All objective conditions for this are in place," Putin said.
He stressed that the current condition and outlook for the further deepening of bilateral interaction were the number one issue on the negotiations’ agenda. The meeting lasted about four hours.
"Our countries traditionally share firm bonds of alliance and good-neighborliness," Putin said. He recalled that this year the two countries would mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, which rely on the principles of firm mutual support and respect for each other’s interests.
Putin said Kazakhstan faced in January terrorist aggression supported by destructive forces inside the country and outside it. The Russian president called the January developments "an unprecedented challenge to the sovereignty, integrity and stability of the country". "In fact, Kazakhstan faced an act of terrorist aggression committed with the direct participation of destructive forces inside and outside," the country, he stressed.
According to Putin, owing to the firm stance of President Tokayev and the resolute support from Russia and other countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the situation was quickly taken under the control, law and order was restored, and peace and tranquility returned to Kazakhstan. "The CSTO convincingly demonstrated the ability to efficiently react to the emerging threats, to promptly engage peacekeeping forces to protect the security and the interests of its member countries," the Russian leader stressed.
He added that Russia will continue assisting Kazakhstan in training military specialists, including at the Defense Ministry’s universities. "Of course, the talks also focused on further strengthening military and military-technical cooperation. Russia will continue rendering Kazakhstan assistance in training military specialists at higher educational institutions of the Russian Defense Ministry and other security and law-enforcement agencies," Putin said.
Both countries will also work further on creating licensed production facilities and maintenance centers for Russian military equipment, he pointed out.
The Russian leader said that his Kazakh counterpart informed him that the republic was beginning to implement a plan of top-priority measures "aimed at enhancing citizens’ social protection, eradicating corruption, modernizing the economy and strengthening the country’s security and law-enforcement structures."
"We wish the Kazakh partners success in implementing their plans and are ready to assist this process in every possible way," the head of the Russian state said.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called the talks with Putin interesting and intense. "I would like to express my cordial gratitude to the President of Russia for his kind invitation to come to Moscow with an official visit. We have just finished lengthy talks with achieved agreements that respected Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has just informed you about. Indeed, the talks were very intense, interesting even. Using this opportunity, I would like to express my satisfaction with how these talks went," Tokayev said.
According to the Kazakh leader, this year is iconic for Russia and Kazakhstan. "We celebrate the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between our states. During this period, we have built a truly exemplary interstate cooperation, based on the strength of our friendship, common history and mental closeness of our peoples," Tokayev noted.
He also underscored that thanks to the intense political dialogue, the countries achieved impressive successes in almost every area.
"Our ground border, the longest in the world [about 7,500 km - TASS] presents a shining example of a true exemplary goon-neighborliness, reliable cooperation and strategic partnership to the entire international community," the president said.
