Putin Hails Russia’s Special Relations with Kazakhstan

The special relations between Russia and Kazakhstan stem not only from the good personal relationship between their leaders but also from the fact that both countries spearheaded integration processes in the post-Soviet space, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We greatly value our relations with Kazakhstan. You know, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that we have special relations not only thanks to our personal good and friendly relations with you but also because Kazakhstan and Russia are the initiators of integration processes in the post-Soviet space," he said at a meeting with his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, The Caspian Post reports, citing TASS.

The Russian leader recalled that Kazakhstan initiated the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Community and is now advancing many initiatives. "It should be noted that everything that is being done bilaterally promotes our cooperation with colleagues within the CIS," he said.

Putin thanked Tokayev for helping develop Russian-Kazakh ties. "I am convinced that our bilateral meeting today will be useful for the development of our relations," he noted.