Russian President Vladimir Putin is to travel Thursday to Kazakhstan, where he will meet with his counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Kazakhstan maintains close relations with Russia but is actively seeking to strengthen its ties with other partners, including the European Union (EU) and its member states.
The Kremlin announced Tuesday that Putin and Tokayev will convene in Astana, the Kazakh capital, to discuss the future development of bilateral relations, cooperation within Eurasian alliances, and regional and international issues.
They will also participate via videoconference in the plenary session of the 19th Interregional Cooperation Forum between Russia and Kazakhstan, to be held in the northern Kazakh city of Kostanay.
“Several important joint documents are expected to be signed during Putin’s visit to Kazakhstan,” the Kremlin stated.
Dmitry Peskov, the Russian Presidential spokesperson, told a press conference that “key matters for the future development of the Russian-Kazakh strategic partnership and alliance relations, as well as prospects for interaction within the framework of integration associations in the Eurasian space,” are on the agenda.
Furthermore, Peskov added, the two leaders will exchange views on current regional and international issues.
Since the onset of the Russian war in Ukraine, Putin has scarcely traveled abroad, mainly limiting his visits to Central Asian regions for post-Soviet alliance meetings and to China.
Putin’s trip to Kazakhstan follows President Tokayev’s engagements several months ago with high-ranking officials from the European Union and, more recently, with French President Emmanuel Macron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Macron, in particular, has expressed an understanding of the pressure Kazakhstan may face due to its close links with Russia, while also supporting the nation’s choice to diversify its international relationships.
An international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been outstanding against Putin since March for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian minors to Russia. EFE