Putin starts visit to main regional ally

(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Astana, Kazakhstan, for a two-day state visit, during which he is set to hold talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and participate in a session of a regional security organization. Putin is accompanied by a delegation of key ministers and senior government officials, and several bilateral agreements are expected to be signed following the discussions on Wednesday.

The two countries have a close partnership, as both leaders emphasized in articles published ahead of the visit. In a piece for *Kazakhstanskaya Pravda*, Putin praised the strong cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan, particularly in supporting Eurasian economic integration. He highlighted areas of mutual collaboration such as commerce, oil and gas, nuclear energy, and space exploration.

Tokayev, writing in *Izvestia*, reaffirmed Kazakhstan's position as a reliable strategic partner and ally of Russia, particularly during this challenging historical period marked by global conflicts.

The visit will culminate in a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on Thursday, where the leaders will discuss key developments from the past year. Kazakhstan, which holds the CSTO's rotating presidency, will lead the discussions.

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