MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. Russia expects its effective cooperation with Kazakhstan to continue, barring any negative influence from the outside, as the bilateral economic relationship has been of a huge mutual benefit, the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS.

Commenting on a recent remark by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev who said that Astana is going to comply with the West’s sanctions regime against Moscow, the Russian diplomatic agency said: "We expect to continue effectively working with our Kazakh partners with a view to protecting our good-neighborly ties, including quite a major economic cooperation that benefits both countries a lot and fully meets the interests of their peoples, from any external negative effects."

While emphasizing that Russia does not interfere in Kazakhstan’s relations with third countries, the ministry said it hewed to the position that "there is a range of agreements between Moscow and Astana that define our allied relations as strategic partnership." "These bilateral ties include constructive cooperation in politics, security, trade, investment and other spheres," the Russian diplomats concluded.

On September 28, Tokayev told the press following his negotiations with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Berlin should not fear that Kazakhstan would help Moscow circumvent the West’s anti-Russian sanctions.