Putin hails Kazakhstan alliance ahead of visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin was expected Wednesday in Kazakhstan for talks on energy projects in the central Asian state which he called a strong ally ahead of his arrival.
While Putin’s international travels have been limited since Russia’s all-out military offensive in Ukraine in 2022, he has been a regular visitor to Central Asia.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has highlighted the friendship between the two countries while also making wary comments about the Ukraine war.
Kazakhstan, which has denied Western accusations that it has not applied sanctions against Russia, has not condemned the invasion but has defended Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
In a speech reported Wednesday by the Pravda of Kazakhstan newspaper, Putin hailed the “alliance tested by life and turned towards the future.”
“We have been and remain a trusted strategic partner and ally of Russia in the difficult period of history, filled with conflicts and catastrophes,” the Kazakh leader said in a letter published by Russian media Izvestia.
Kazakhstan is a longstanding military and economic partner of Russia and has a 7,500-kilometer (4,650-mile) border with its giant neighbour.
The two leaders could discuss the construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power station. The country accounts for about 43 percent of world uranium production but has a chronic electricity shortage.
Russia’s state-owned Rosatom Company is one of the candidates for the project, along with South Korean and French entities.
Putin said Wednesday that Rosatom was “ready to launch into large scale projects” in Kazakhstan.
Putin also praised cooperation in the key oil and gas sector. Kazakhstan, which exports 80 percent of its oil through Russia, has however been seeking alternative routes for the key revenue earner, notably through the Caspian Sea.