After the "quelling of the chaos" in Kazakhstan, Putin and Tokaev met for the first time

Beijing, February 11 (China Youth Daily, China Youth Daily reporter Zhao Qi) On February 10, Moscow time, Russian President Putin held talks with visiting Kazakh President Tokayev at the Kremlin. This is the first face-to-face meeting between the heads of state of Russia and Kazakhstan since the outbreak of large-scale riots in Kazakhstan in January this year.

Compared with the apparent "social distancing" of Putin's talks with Macron on February 7, the atmosphere of Putin's dialogue with Tokayev is clearly more intimate. According to the Russian newspaper, the talks lasted nearly three and a half hours, and the two sides had in-depth talks on the further development of bilateral relations, the prospects for Eurasian space integration cooperation and current international hotspot issues.

Above: The scene when Putin and Macron met on the 7th. Below: The scene of Putin and Tokaev's dialogue on the 10th. (Screenshot from the Kremlin website)

Tokayev thanked Russia and CSTA for their unwavering support during the January riots in Kazakhstan. He said that Russia and Kazakhstan have "common historical and spiritual intimacy" and that "there can be no other relationship between the two countries than friendship and cooperation." Russia plays a vital role in ensuring stability and security in the Eurasian region, and Kazakhstan will firmly support Russia's relevant position that "Eurasian space security is inseparable." At the same time, Tokayev stressed that the current "security system" built by some countries in the international community should not pose a threat to the security of other sovereign countries.

Putin said in the talks that the situation in Kazakhstan has basically returned to stability, and Russia, as a member of the CISO, has provided Kazakhstan with necessary military assistance, but what plays the most important role in the stability of the situation in Kazakhstan is the strong leadership of President Tokayev and the dedication of Kazakh military and powerful departments. Relations between Russia and Kazakhstan have a traditional basis of alliance and good-neighbourliness, and Russia will continue to give firm support to Kazakhstan and to President Tokayev himself. Putin also said: "President Tokayev and I will work to strengthen military and military-technical cooperation between the two countries." The positions of the two countries are consistent on the vast majority of international issues, and Moscow and Nur-Sultan are actively promoting the integration process within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union. ”

According to the Russian "First Channel" news website, during Tokayev's visit to Russia, Russia and Kazakhstan also signed more than 10 documents in the fields of space exploration, nuclear power, and digitalization.

Regarding the talks between Putin and Tokayev, Alexei Chepa, vice chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma, told The Russian newspaper that the positions of the heads of state of Russia and Kazakhstan are highly consistent on various issues, and we must do everything possible to help our neighbors so as not to repeat similar riots. Sergei Tsekov, a member of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council (the upper house of parliament), told the media that Russia is the most important target country for Kazakhstan to develop long-term partnerships, and Nur-Sultan will be committed to deepening relations with Moscow in the political, economic, military and other fields.

Last month, Kazakhstan experienced its largest civil unrest since independence, with Tokayev at one point declaring a national state of emergency. On January 6, CGIA peacekeepers entered Kazakhstan. On January 11, Tokayev announced to the outside world that the main tasks of the CIAN peacekeeping forces in Kazakhstan have been successfully completed and will be withdrawn from Kazakhstan in stages.

Source: China Youth Daily client