Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Kazakhstan and Russia have signed an agreement on the creation of a joint regional air defense system. The document was signed by the defense ministers of the two countries Adilbek Dzhaksybekov and Sergei Shoigu as a result of talks in the Kazakh capital Astana on Wednesday, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday with reference to the Kazakh Defense Ministry.

According to the report, entry of this document into force will create a basis for ensuring airspace security of Kazakhstan and Russian borderline areas.

The Russian minister is currently on his first visit to Kazakhstan. Military partnership issues, some questions regarding the operation of the Russian Defense Ministry's testing grounds in Kazakhstan, as well as bilateral cooperation in the field of military education were discussed during the talks. Some 600 Kazakh military personnel are currently studying in Russian military academies.

It was reported earlier that this agreement envisages supply of 10 S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems by Russia on a pro bono basis to Kazakhstan in a move to strengthen the common defense space between the two countries.

Russia already has an agreement on the joint protection of common airspace and the creation of a joint regional air defense network with Belarus, which was signed in 2009. It was planned to sign such an agreement with Armenia, however, this system can only have the status of a unified system due to the lack of a common border between Armenia and Russia.