MOSCOW. Jan 28 (Interfax-AVN) - On Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu began a January 28-30 trip during which he will pay official visits to Armenia and Kazakhstan.
"During his visit to the Republic of Armenia on January 28-29, General Sergei Shoigu is expected to meet with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and conduct negotiations with Defense Minister Seiran Oganyan," the defense minister's press officer Darya Zatulina told Interfax-AVN.
"These meetings are expected to address the state of and prospects doe bilateral military and military-technical cooperation," Zatulina said.
"On January 29, General Sergei Shoigu will also visit the 102nd Russian military base (based in Gyumri), where he will be told about the organization of combat training, the state of the training and junction infrastructure, and servicemen's service and living conditions," she said.
"On January 29-30, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will visit the Republic of Kazakhstan," Zatulina said.
"The Russian defense minister is also expected to meet with the top military and political leaders of Kazakhstan and consider a number of areas of bilateral cooperation in the military sphere," she said.
"Among the main issues addressed in the meeting will be issues relating to the creation of a unified air defense system, further development of cooperation in the military-space and military-technical spheres, and the functioning on the territory of Kazakhstan of the Russian Defense Ministry's testing grounds," Zatulina said.