Consultations between representatives of the Russian and Kazakh defense ministries started Tuesday in Russia's Chelyabinsk Region, the venue of the joint drills, which will be held as part of this year's bilateral military cooperation program.
"During the consultations we coordinated and entered in the protocol all the issues concerning the joint combat drills by the Russian and Kazakh armed forces. The exercises will be held from September 1 till 5, 2008, in the Volga-Urals Military District," said Lieutenant General Valery Yevnevich, deputy commander of the Ground Forces.
He said the protocol would be officially signed on Friday.
"We have reached complete understanding with the Russian side. There is no problem and I doubt there will be any," said Major General Nikolai Kautov, the head of the Kazakh delegation.
The parties are currently studying the terrain.
The two countries' defense ministers announced plans in July for joint military exercises on the territories of both states in 2009-2011.
Russia, which is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), has been strengthening military ties with its allies amid growing tensions over NATO expansion and U.S. missile shield plans for Central Europe.
The agreement recently signed by Washington and Prague on deploying a U.S. radar in the Czech Republic did little to assuage Russian concerns over its national security.
The CSTO is a post-Soviet security alliance that also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
