First Official Visit: Kazakhstan’s New Defense Minister in Moscow for Talks on Military Cooperation

Kazakhstan’s Defense Minister, Dauren Kosanov, made his first foreign visit since his appointment, traveling to Moscow for talks with Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Orda.kz reports.

Belousov noted the significance of the visit, pointing out that while Kosanov had been to Russia many times before, this was his first trip in his new role. The Russian side prepared an extensive agenda, including presentations on military science, defense industry developments, and bilateral cooperation in the defense sector.

Kosanov emphasized the importance of choosing Russia as the destination for his first official visit.

For me, this is very important. I’m glad that we can meet regularly, share views, and coordinate our next steps for effective cooperation between our Ministries.

Both sides reaffirmed the strategic and neighborly nature of Kazakh-Russian relations and discussed key areas of defense collaboration. The visit began with a formal welcome ceremony at Russia’s National Defense Management Center.

Kosanov, who previously headed Kazakhstan’s Air Defense Forces, was appointed Minister of Defense following the resignation of Ruslan Zhaqsylyqov.

He is a native of Pavlodar Region and studied at Russian military academies.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov