Shephard Media: "Moldova unveils meagre defence budget growth amid lingering Russian threat"

 

"Moldova unveils meagre defence budget growth amid lingering Russian threat"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Defence Notes

Shephard Media

1 September 2022

Originally published: https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/defence-notes/moldova-unveils-meagre-defence-budget-growth-amid-lingering-russian-threat/

Despite the latest incremental increase to its defence budget and the danger of the war in Ukraine spilling over into Transnistria, funding remains too low for Moldova to buy new military hardware.

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The Diplomat: Kazakhstan Aims to Increase Participation in UN Peacekeeping Missions

 

 

 

"Kazakhstan Aims to Increase Participation in UN Peacekeeping Mission"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Crossroads Asia 

The Diplomat

December 8, 2020

Originally published: https://thediplomat.com/2020/12/kazakhstan-aims-to-increase-participation-in-un-peacekeeping-missions/

 The additional troops won’t be deployed until 2022 and it’s not clear where they will be stationed.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev recently announced his intention to deploy additional Kazakhstani military personnel to United Nations peacekeeping operations (PKOs).  The Central Asian nation has significantly increased its participation in PKOs in recent years by sending over 100 contingent troops to the U.N. mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Nur-Sultan appears to be keen to continue this trend.

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The Diplomat: Kazakhstani Blue Helmets in Lebanon

"Kazakhstani Blue Helmets in Lebanon"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez


The Diplomat
Crossroads Asia
15 July, 2020
Originally published: https://thediplomat.com/2020/07/kazakhstani-blue-helmets-in-lebanon/

Exploring Kazakhstan’s contribution to the UN Peacekeeping force in Lebanon, a landmark for the Central Asian state.

Originally published...

Cited in: "Бітімгерлік – бейбітшіл елдің басты миссиясы"

"Бітімгерлік – бейбітшіл елдің басты миссиясы"

(The Role of Kazakhstan in UN peackeeeping operation)

By Abay Otar

Egemen Qazaqstan

May 9, 2020

Originally published: https://egemen.kz/article/233773-bitimgerlik-%E2%80%93-beybitshil-eldinh-basty-missiyasy

Қазақстан тұрақтылық пен қауіпсіздікті қолдайтын мемлекет екенін төрткүл дүниеге әйгілі етіп, көптеген дау-жанжалды бейбіт жолмен шешу тәсілін ұсынып келеді. Осы бағытта атқарылған жұмыстардың бір парасы – бітімгершілік миссиялары. Ұлы даланың ұландары бүгінде БҰҰ-ның бітімгер әскері құрамында әлемнің бірқатар бөлігінде міндетін абыроймен атқарып жүр.

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Asian Affairs: "Shift To The Centre"

"Shift To The Centre"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Asian Affairs
May 2, 2019
Originally published: https://www.asianaffairs.in/magazine/shift-to-the-centre/#.XNbFskN7mfZ

A Central Asian giant larger than Western Europe, Kazakhstan is friendly with all its neighbours, especially Russia and China. Yet it is keen to further expand its influence throughout Asia, which, Wilder Alejandro Sanchez believes, could be good news for India

India and Kazakhstan – the third and fourth biggest nations in Asia respectively –have seen their diplomatic ties increase in significance this century.Now, should both governments decide that this relationship deserves to be a priority, the two countries have much to gain from each other on other levels too.

Kazakhstan will hold a presidential election in June but there is little doubt in my mind as to who will win. I believe that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will continue in his role as leader. His predecessor, the former first secretary of the Communist Party, Nursultan Nazarbayev, was re-elected in 2015 with 98 per cent of the vote. He resigned last month, endorsing Mr Tokayev to take over. Voters are likely to support political continuity and elections in Kazakhstan are far less hotly fought than those in India.

Meeting Modi

Assuming he wins the vote in June, Mr Tokayev could meet India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon afterwards, if the two leaders participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek.

Trade between India and Kazakhstan reached USD$1.2 billion in 2018, a new record for the two nations. Indeed, Kazakhstan is India’s major trading partner in Central Asia and the two governments have enjoyed cordial relations in terms of diplomacy, defence (including joint peacekeeping operations), trade and people-to-people interactions since the Central Asian nation gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

India’s exports to Kazakhstan include coffee, tobacco and rubber, while Kazakhstan’s exports to India are mostly uranium, oil and steel.

Both governments have maintained a pro-trade policy and Kazakh Invest – a company that was founded to promote sustainable socio-economic development in Kazakhstan by inviting foreign investment in priority sectors– helped to organise a forum in Kolkata in early April to attract Eastern Indian investment.

Trade between the two countries could grow even more in the coming years, should India and the Eurasian Economic Union – of which Kazakhstan is a member – sign a free trade agreement.

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Wilder Alejandro Sanchez is an analyst who focuses on geopolitical, military and cyber security issues

The Diplomat: The Significance of Kazakhstan’s Growing Role in Peacekeeping Operations

"The Significance of Kazakhstan’s Growing Role in Peacekeeping Operations"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
The Diplomat
Crossroads Asia
1 March, 2019
Originally published: https://thediplomat.com/2019/03/the-significance-of-kazakhstans-growing-role-in-peacekeeping-operations/

The government of Kazakhstan has announced that Kazakh peacekeepers will be deployed to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) by the end of April; the troops will replace the first-ever major contingent of Kazakh peacekeepers deployed this past October. This is an important development as the Central Asian state firmly joins the ranks of contributors to UN peace missions.
 
Kazakhstan has participated in UN peace missions for several years, but it has been at a very low scale. Until last year’s deployment to Lebanon, Kazakh participation exclusively consisted of a small number of either experts on mission or police officers, particularly to the UN mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The October 2018 arrival of 120 Kazakh troops to UNIFIL, thus, was the country’s first ever significant contingent of troops to UN missions. 

This growing role in UN peace operations is part of Astana’s objective to increase its international image. For example, Kazakhstan held one of the rotating seats of the UN Security Council in 2017-2018, the first Central Asian nation to do so. It held the UNSC’s rotating presidency in January 2018.

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