"Considering Kazakhstan's growing demands for space exploration, it is necessary to accelerate the introduction of space technologies. They are used in modern technical reconnaissance and are applied in almost all military fields, such as communications, administration, navigation and mapping," Nazarbayev said at a ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the independent Kazakhstan's Armed Forces.

He said the army needed new weapons, military hardware and knowledge of all modern combat methods. The president added that special attention would be paid to state-of the-art radio electronic warfare support.

"We are ready to procure the best equipment available in the world," Nazarbayev said.

He also emphasized establishing a naval infrastructure for the Caspian Sea, as the country is eager to ensure security in the region, developing a new naval strategy through 2025.

Kazakhstan has long opted for the development of a highly efficient professional military. With an 87,000-strong military, conscripts account for only 15-20% of total manpower.

High energy-export revenues have enabled the former Soviet republic to achieve fast economic development rates, with an average annual GDP growth of 9-10%, and to significantly increase defense spending over the past few years.

In 2007, Kazakhstan's military budget doubled over the previous year, to exceed $1.2 billion, according to RBC daily.

Some experts believe that the sharp increase in Kazakhstan's defense spending reflects the country's concern about the deterioration of the geopolitical situation in the region.

An ongoing U.S.-led antiterrorism operation in Afghanistan, Iran's nuclear ambitions, a volatile situation in Iraq, and the rise of Islamic extremism in neighboring Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan jeopardize the country's energy security.

With rising security concerns in Central Asia, Kazakhstan will seek closer military-technical cooperation with foreign countries, especially its neighbors, including Russia, the country's defense minister, Danial Akhmetov, said in late March.

Kazakhstan is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a post-Soviet regional security group, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, another regional security and economic alliance in Asia comprising Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

CSTO members - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan - use the organization as a platform to fight drug trafficking, terrorism, and organized crime, and have pledged to provide immediate military assistance to one another in the event of an attack.

The bloc has a Collective Rapid Reaction Force deployed in Central Asia, and is continuing to build up its military forces.

Email This Article

Related Links
News From Across The Stans