Status: 09.11.2023, 18:30 PM
By: Ulrike Hagen
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Vladimir Putin's trips abroad have become rare since the war of aggression against Ukraine and the arrest warrant against him. Now he visited the ex-Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.
Astana – Since the war in Ukraine and the arrest warrant issued against Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court in March, foreign trips by the Russian leader have become a rarity. Now Russia's president has visited the Central Asian neighbour Kazakhstan to promote increased military cooperation.
Vladimir Putin (centre, l), President of Russia, speaks with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, upon his arrival at the international airport outside Astana. © Pavel Bednyakov/dpa
Rare trip: Putin woos Kazakhstan – it's also about the military
At a joint press conference with his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Thursday (9 November), Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of strengthening military and military-technical cooperation between Russia and the ex-Soviet republic.
Speaking at an economic summit in the capital Astana, the Russian president said that the two countries were "not only allies, but closest allies." He suggested further expanding cooperation in various fields such as military, space, agriculture and nuclear energy.
"Alliance of a rich past and bright future": Putin courts Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke of an "alliance with a rich past and a bright future." For Russia, the oil-rich ex-Soviet republic of Kazakhstan has become of particular importance in view of its own war of aggression against Ukraine and the resulting Western sanctions.
Although Kazakhstan has traditionally been a partner of Russia, President Tokayev has expressed his restraint on the Ukraine conflict in recent months. He repeatedly emphasized that his country supports the sanctions regime of the EU and other states. In Western countries, however, there are concerns that Moscow could use former Soviet republics as a backdoor to import prohibited goods.
The next meeting between the two heads of state is already scheduled for November 23. They will take part in a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance of post-Soviet states, in the Belarusian capital Minsk.
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(uha/with material from dpa and AFP)