Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) shakes hands with his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev after a signing ceremony in the Kremlin in Moscow on November 28, 2022. They signed a joint declaration on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Photo: AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a cooperation document on Monday as the two countries mark three decades of diplomatic ties in 2022.

The Declaration on the 30th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Russia and Kazakhstan contains 37 articles and stipulates efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, defense, culture, education, health care, youth and sports.

Before inking the document, Putin and Tokayev took part via video link in the 18th Russia-Kazakhstan Inter-regional Cooperation Forum held in the Russian city of Orenburg.

"It is the first visit after Mr Tokayev's reelection as president of Kazakhstan. In this sense, it has a symbolic meaning. It underlines the special nature of our relations," Putin said at the meeting.

"For Kazakhstan, Russia has been and remains our main strategic partner, a country with which we have deep ties in a wide range of sectors," Tokayev replied.

Xinhua