Russia, Kazakhstan to sign three-year war games deal

Russia and Kazakhstan are to sign a three-year agreement on joint military drills in the near future, the Russian defense minister said on Friday.

GVARDEISKY (Kazakhstan), July 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Kazakhstan are to sign a three-year agreement on joint military drills in the near future, the Russian defense minister said on Friday.

"Within the next few weeks, I believe we will sign an agreement on the holding of joint exercises over the next three years," Anatoly Serdyukov, currently on a visit to Kazakhstan, told reporters.

Some 2,000 Russian and Kazakh paratroopers will conduct a joint counterinsurgency tactical exercise later on Friday.

A Kazakh Defense Ministry spokesman said the 2008 Kazakh-Russian military cooperation program includes a series of joint operational and combat training activities.