Recently re-elected Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set out Astana’s foreign policy agenda in his inauguration speech Kazakhstan will prioritize cooperation with its close neighbors, including Russia and China, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Saturday in his inauguration speech after being re-elected. The nation will pursue a “balanced” foreign policy guided by its own interests, he added.

9 servicemen faced “grave danger” while in Ukrainian captivity, the country’s Defense Ministry has said Another nine Russian soldiers were freed from captivity following talks between Moscow and Kiev, the Defense Ministry stated on Saturday. The servicemen would now be flown to Moscow by the Air Force transport aircraft for rehabilitation, according to the military.

The country’s holdings, including those frozen by Western sanctions, have surpassed $540 billion Russia has risen to fourth place among the world’s largest economies in terms of foreign exchange reserves, RIA Novosti calculations published on Saturday show.