ASTANA, Kazakhstan, March 10. The Kazakh delegation headed by the Minister of Defense of Kazakhstan, Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov, visited the Ministry of Defense and military facilities of Italy, and discussed issues of cooperation in the field of combat training and military-scientific research, Trend reports.
In the course of the visit, Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov
met with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. The parties
discussed key issues of bilateral military cooperation, including
military education, combat training, and peacekeeping activities.
Colonel-General Ruslan Zhaksylykov emphasized the importance of
peacekeeping for Kazakhstan on the international stage.
He also highlighted the significance of Kazakhstan's officers
participating in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL) mission, as part of the Italian contingent, as an example
of successful cooperation.
The negotiations concluded with the signing of a memorandum on academic cooperation and scientific research, which will open new opportunities for interaction between the National Defense University of Kazakhstan and the Higher Defense Studies Center of the General Staff of the Italian Armed Forces.
Moreover, during the visit, the delegation also visited the maritime airbase Pratica di Mare and the military airport of the Italian Air Force. There, representatives from the largest Italian corporation "Leonardo" demonstrated combat helicopters, as well as software and tools for the C4I automated command and control system.
The Kazakh delegation also visited the "Aquila" mountain training base, located 119 km from Rome. There, they familiarized themselves with the infrastructure, equipment, and training program for the soldiers of the Italian Army's Alpine Regiment.
Italy ranks third among Kazakhstan's largest trading partners and is also among the top five largest investors in Kazakhstan's economy. Last year, bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to around $20 billion.