EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Kazakhstan To Cooperate With Russia To Build Air Defense System

EURASIA INSIGHT

KAZAKHSTAN TO COOPERATE WITH RUSSIA TO BUILD AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM - MINISTER
8/27/07
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from BBC Monitoring

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Excerpt from report by Kazakh Khabar TV on 25 August

[Presenter] Today the country’s defence minister held an expanded session with officers of military units located in [northern] Pavlodar Region. He said that in line with a new military doctrine adopted this year, funding for the army would considerably increase.

Furthermore, [Defence Minister Daniyal] Akhmetov noted that Kazakhstan would build its air defence system in close cooperation with Russia.

Our correspondent, Salovat Temirbulat-uly, in Pavlodar Region has the details.

[Correspondent] Speaking to his subordinates, Daniyal Akhmetov said consistency should be strengthened in work concerning personnel. Because the most important task is to increase the quality of staffing. He also cited [some] data. The national army has only 75 per cent of the [necessary] number of officers. The minister said that the number of sergeants and contract soldiers was also insufficient.

[Daniyal Akhmetov] The following measures have been taken: 3,095 officers will undergo relevant retraining next year, because in accordance with the new ideology of the armed forces, the new doctrine by the supreme commander-in-chief, President Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, there is a need for new officers.

[Correspondent] Daniyal Akhmetov said that according to the new military doctrine, colossal reforms are awaiting the country’s armed forces. They are aimed, above all, at increasing the level of combat readiness and resolving social issues of servicemen. Akhmetov said that the state’s priority was to form a strong, professional and combat-capable army.

[Passage omitted: Daniyal Akhmetov remarks on housing to be provided to servicemen]

[Correspondent] Kazakhstan will build its air defence system from Russian [S-300PMU2] "Favourite" and [S-400] "Triumph" air defence missile systems. Akhmetov said that active talks were already being held between national and Russian military officials. Furthermore, the Defence Ministry recently signed a contract worth over 60m dollars with the MiG corporation to modernize military aviation.

[Daniyal Akhmetov] Russia is certainly Kazakhstan’s strategic partner in the field of air defence. And we are working not only, for instance, in the field of purchasing military equipment. We are devising a whole system which makes it possible for both Russia and Kazakhstan to create a unified airspace, and certainly with unified control over the airspace and as a result, unified combat duty.

[Correspondent] Akhmetov said that Kazakhstan would launch four joint projects with [its] foreign partners to produce modern types of military equipment in the country until the end of the year.

Editor�s Note: Source: Khabar Television, Almaty, in Russian 1500 gmt 25 Aug 07

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