Kazakhstan, UK step up defense industry cooperation

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Defense ministries of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum on defense industry cooperation in the Kazakh capital Astana on Wednesday, Kazinform has learnt from the press service of the Kazakh Defense Ministry.

Signing the memorandum is the expression of intention of both countries' defense authorities to establish a basis for mutually beneficial defense industry cooperation.

The memorandum is believed to help expand bilateral contacts and modernize the Kazakh armed forces and its military equipment.

Kazakhstan has been developing military cooperation with the UK Defense Ministry since 1996 under the annual military cooperation plan.

The key areas of the Kazakh-UK military cooperation is training of the peacekeeping forces, including the Steppe Eagle exercise, and educating Kazakh military in UK military schools.