ASTANA, August 19. /TASS/. Being part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) benefits Kazakhstan because both structures focus on ensuring peace and accord, the republic’s Defense Minister Ruslan Jaqsylyqov said in an interview with TengriNews.

"Kazakhstan is historically part of the CSTO: the organization was created at the dawn of our independence with the goal of maintaining peace and constitutional order within the framework of that union. The SCO, which also has a military bloc, emerged later. What does this give us? These two powerful organizations are striving to ensure peace and accord in our regions, facilitating the development of our countries. This benefits us and our head of state understands these tasks," he said.

According to the top Kazakh military official, Astana has been expanding cooperation within the framework of these two organizations.

That said, the Kazakh defense minister admitted the complexity of the current geopolitical situation. "However, I would like to say that, thanks to the policy course of our leader, government, and society, Kazakhstan does not have any issues with any of our neighbors. Kazakhstan is the only country in the world without unresolved issues on state borders. The presence of its own independent modern national army also aids in Kazakhstan’s readiness to respond to any challenges and threats in any situation. Since Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces are one of the main institutions of statehood," Jaqsylyqov explained.

Commenting on a question about the size of the Kazakh army, the defense chief stressed that it "corresponds to the current situation."

In 2024, Kazakhstan is chairing the CSTO. On July 4, an SCO summit was held in Astana where the Kazakh side was concluding its chairmanship of that group.