Kazakhstan Deepens Ties To NATO

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, March 17, 2006 - Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defense and NATO are reviewing their cooperation under their joint Planning and Review Program.

Kazakhstan Today reported Friday that the Kazakh Ministry of Defense officials and their NATO counterparts in Astana reviewed the entire spectrum of NATO-Kazakh relations. An Individual Partnership Action Plan between Kazakhstan and NATO entered into force Jan. 31.

Kazakhstan is the first country in Central Asia to have an IPAP agreement with NATO. Kazakhstan is also a member of the Council of Euro-Atlantic Partnership and NATO's Partnership for Peace program.