Lavrov to meet with Kazakh president, hold talks with top diplomat

ASTANA, April 30. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who arrived in Astana on Wednesday, will meet with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and hold talks with Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev. According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the meetings will be focused on strengthening bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance, including in light of upcoming high-level contacts. She informed that the sides will discuss bilateral agenda issues, namely strengthening ties in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, as well as cooperation within common integration platforms, primarily the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Apart from that, the ministers will exchange views on the regional agenda and coordinate positions on the most pressing international issues. "Sergey Lavrov is expected to inform his counterpart Yermek Kosherbayev about the course of the special military operation in Ukraine," she added. The visit is expected to yield a plan of contacts between the two countries’ foreign ministries in the coming years. The two top diplomats maintain regular contacts both in person and over the phone. Their previous meeting took place in October 2025 in Moscow. Lavrov has repeatedly stressed that Kazakhstan is one of Russia’s major trade and economic partners and Moscow traditionally pays priority attention to the development of practical cooperation with Astana. Kosherbayev, in turn, stated that Kazakhstan views Russia as its leading investment and trade partner. The two countries closely cooperate within the EAEU and the CSTO, as well as in other multilateral formats. Tokayev paid an official visit to Moscow in November 2025. This was his first visit after being reelected Kazakh president. During the visit, he invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to return visit in 2026. Putin accepted the invitation. Russian Ambassador to Astana Alexey Borodavkin said earlier that the date and agenda of Putin’s visit were being agreed upon. Meanwhile, the press service of the Kazakh leader said that the visit is scheduled for late May. It is not ruled out that issues of Putin’s visit will be on the agenda of Lavrov’s meetings in Astana.