According to the Information Bureau of the Kazakh Presidential Office, Kazakh President Tokayev signed a series of orders on the 19th to adjust the personnel of the top level of the Ministry of National Defense and to fundamentally improve the combat capability of the Kazakh armed forces.
1 Personnel adjustment of the Ministry of Defense
By Presidential Decree:
Dismissal of Murat Bektanov as Minister of Defence;
The appointment of Ruslan Jaxlerkov as the new Minister of Defence, while Ruslan Jaxlerkov ceased to serve as Deputy Minister of the Interior and Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard;
Yelken Potakhanov was appointed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard.
2 Criticism of the former Minister of Defence for his weak leadership
On the same day, Tokayev met with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense. At the meeting, Tokayev briefed the leadership of the Ministry of Defense on Ruslan Jaxlekov, who had taken up the new ministerial post. At the same time, Tokayev also criticized the work of former minister Murat Bektanov, saying that he did not show the ability to work as he should.
"We have an army that has performed well in command staff and military exercises, but it cannot realize its potential in critical moments and therefore has to resort to external help." Tokayev said.
Tokayev pointed out that the current demand for armed forces is constantly strengthening. He stressed that "the army is the pillar of our independence and should protect the national interests."
In addition, Tokayev spoke positively of the peacekeeping missions carried out by CWS peacekeeping forces in Kazakhstan.
3 New requirements are put forward for the combat capability of the national armed forces
Tokayev stressed the need to strengthen army building on the basis of the lessons learned from the January riots.
Taking into account the geopolitical and regional risks, Tokayev called for the further strengthening of the combat capabilities of the armed forces and issued a series of specific tasks to this end.
According to Tokaev's instructions:
1. Military intelligence efforts should be strengthened to provide the national leadership with timely and reliable information on external and internal threats;
2. By decree of the President, the military and security services will jointly form the Special Operations Force Command. All organizational measures must be taken as soon as possible to ensure that special operations are prepared to be carried out jointly with other authorities;
3. It is necessary to continue to take measures to ensure the safe storage of ammunition and to dispose of unusable and dangerous ammunition for further storage;
4. Upgrade the technical and combat equipment of the Kazakh army;
5. Considering the speed at which the end-of-life equipment reaches its service life, it is necessary to take urgent measures to replenish armaments;
6. It is necessary to increase the mobility of the troops and improve the ability of military transport aviation;
7. Increase the prestige and attractiveness of the troops.
The following is a biography
Lieutenant General Ruslan Jaxlerkov
Born in Almaty Oblast in 1966, he graduated from the Kazakh Army Military Academy and studied at the Frunze Military Academy in Russia and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
From 1989 to 2006, he served in the Kazakh Armed Forces;
From 2006 to 2007, he was the Deputy Commander of the Internal Affairs Force of the Ministry of the Interior;
From 2007 to 2008, he served as the First Deputy Commander of the Internal Affairs Force of the Ministry of the Interior and the Chief of the General Staff of the Internal Affairs Force;
From 2008 to 2014, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Internal Affairs Force of the Ministry of the Interior;
From 2014 to 2021, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard Corps of the Ministry of the Interior;
From September 21, 2021, he served as Deputy Minister of the Interior and Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard.
Lieutenant General Murat Bektanov (pictured below is former Defense Minister Nurlan Yelmekbayev)
Born in 1965 in North Kazakhstan Oblast, he graduated from the Kiev Higher Joint Arms Command School and studied at the Military Academy of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan and the Military Academy of the Russian General Staff.
From 1989 to 2013, he held a leading position in the Kazakh Armed Forces;
From 2013 to 2016, he served as the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Military Region;
From 2016 to 2019, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces;
From 2019 to 2021, he served as first deputy minister of defense and chief of the general staff of the armed forces;
From 31 August 2021, he will be appointed Minister of Defence.
Yelken Potakhanov
1990.8-2006.3, served in the Republican Guard, from company commander to regimental commander;
From 2006.3 to 2009.7, he served in the Internal Affairs Unit of the Ministry of the Interior, serving as a senior officer in the Security Department of the Military Service Corps of the Combat Training Bureau to the Commander of Force 6637;
From 2009.7 to 2010.7, he served as Deputy Commander of the Internal Affairs Force and Vice Chairman of the Internal Affairs Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
From 2010.7 to 2013.7, he served as the First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Chief of The General Staff, and the Vice Chairman of the Internal Affairs Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
2014.7-2020.8, Commander of the National Guard Ortaric Regional Command;
Since August 7, 2020, he has been the First Deputy Commander-in-Chief and Chief of the General Staff of the National Guard.
More news: the total withdrawal of the CSA joint peacekeeping contingent from Kazakhstan
On the 19th, The director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of National Defense of Kazakhstan, Volzas Khusaiynov, said at a press conference that the withdrawal of the joint peacekeeping contingent of the Collective Security Treaty Organization from Kazakhstan was completed today, and the last batch of troops took off from Almaty Airport today. At present, there are no foreign troops in Kazakhstan.
He said that the CSA joint peacekeeping contingent has gradually withdrawn from Kazakhstan since January 13 this year within the time limit set by President Tokayev.
According to Khusainovo, the actions of the joint peacekeeping contingent on Kazakh territory are in line with the provisions of articles 2 and 4 of the Treaty on Collective Security.
"Thanks to a series of operations carried out during the annual joint exercise, the organization immediately launched peacekeeping efforts." He said.
Source: Silk Road New Observation Compilation
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