Astana, Washington sign 5-year defense cooperation plan

By Aliia Raimbekova

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AA) - Kazakhstan and the U.S. signed on Wednesday a military cooperation plan for the next five years, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said.

Ahead of the deal covering the years 2018-2022, bilateral consultation meetings were held between the representatives of the two countries in Washington, the ministry said in a statement.

The Kazakh delegation was headed by Deputy Defense Minister Talgat Mukhtarov, it added.

According to the U.S. State Department website, cooperation between the countries in security and nuclear non-proliferation is a "cornerstone" of their relationship.