Nur-Sultan. February 8. INTERFAX-KAZAKHSTAN - Russian-Kazakh allied relations are filled with practical content and are developing dynamically, the countries will strengthen and improve the peacekeeping potential of the CSTO, Russian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alexey Borodavkin said.
"As for the practical content of our allied relations. Conscientiously adhering to its obligations in this area, Kazakhstan did not consent to the flights of American and British combat aircraft over its territory along the Afghan route, realizing that the appearance in the Kazakh sky of military aircraft of these states with strike weapons on board would be a threat to the security of not only Kazakhstan itself, but also Russia. After all, even air-to-ground cruise missiles could be in the hatches of these aircraft," he noted.
In addition, the diplomat said, during the presidency of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the annual peacekeeping exercises "Steppe Eagle" with the participation of military personnel from the United States and other NATO countries ceased to be held in Kazakhstan.
"Now we are witnessing how far Washington and the North Atlantic Alliance are pursuing a line far from peacefulness towards Russia and, consequently, its allies. So, as far as I know, the Steppe Eagle will no longer fly in Kazakhstan," he said.
"Nur-Sultan did not succumb to the persuasions of the Americans to place on the Kazakh territory the military and intelligence infrastructure of the US Armed Forces being withdrawn from Afghanistan, as well as some Afghan "refugees" who collaborated with the forces of the Western coalition in the IRA," Borodavkin said.
According to him, Kazakhstan has actually completely switched to the procurement of weapons and military equipment in the Russian Federation, realizing that in the case of joint actions of the armed forces of our countries both on a bilateral basis and within the framework of the CSTO, the military needs full compatibility of weapons and military equipment.
