ASTANA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom (UK) discussed key areas of bilateral cooperation, including engagement in security, defense, and peacekeeping, the press service of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Friday.
Kazakhstan's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roman Vassilenko met with UK Minister of State for Defense Vernon Coaker.
Vassilenko briefed his counterpart on the experience of the Kazakh armed forces in United Nations peacekeeping missions and their cooperation with international partners in training military personnel to effectively carry out their duties.
The two sides exchanged views on multilateral issues and pressing topics on the regional and global agenda. They also reaffirmed their mutual commitment to continuing constructive dialogue across the full spectrum of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Kazakhstan's armed forces have been participating in UN peacekeeping operations since 2014. A total of 80 Kazakh citizens have served as military observers and staff officers, while about 700 service members have taken part in UN special operations. Currently, 158 Kazakh peacekeepers are serving in missions in Africa and the Middle East. ■