Kazakhstan: Professional Soldiers to be Downsized

The deepening global economic crisis is prompting Kazakhstan's government to shelve plans to build a professional army. The Defense Ministry announced recently that the number of professional soldiers currently in the military would be reduced in order to cut costs.

Deputy Defense Minister Bolat Zhanasaev said professional soldiers accounted for 50 percent of the army's payroll, Kazakhstan Today reported February 25. "According to our analysis, the maintenance of contract soldiers is expensive for the government. Therefore, the quantity of contract soldiers will be cut," he said.

Although the military is cutting back on its human capital, weapons procurement seems headed for an expansion. On February 24, Minister for Industry and Trade, Vladimir Shkolnik, announced a doubling of domestic defense orders for 2009. The move is reportedly part of a spending designed to stabilize the domestic economy.