Moscow, 9 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin called for an expansion of military cooperation with Kazakhstan during his visit to the neighbouring nation on Thursday.

Putin and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed "consolidating military and military-technical cooperation," Putin said at a joint press conference.

The next meeting between the two heads of state is planned for November 23, when both join a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance of post-Soviet states, in the Belarusian capital Minsk.

Oil-rich former Soviet republic Kazakhstan plays a key role for Russia amid the Western sanctions imposed on Moscow in response to the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Kazakhstan is traditionally a Russian ally but Tokayev has repeatedly expressed caution about the Ukraine war over the past few months and reiterated that Astana supports the sanctions imposed by the European Union and other states.

Last month, Kazakhstan banned the sale of 106 types of goods to Russia including drones, special electronics, microchips and other products used in war after Western pressure to abide by sanctions.

The move came after Western countries criticized Kazakhstan for supplying Russia with such goods since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022 and ignoring international sanctions.

But even after the October ban, it remains unclear how exactly exports will be policed. Many Russian firms buy goods directly in Kazakhstan and then bring them across the border.

Photo: MIA archive