Medvedev arrives in Kazakhstan (adds).

ASTANA, July 5 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on
Saturday arrived in Kazakhstan where he will attend the celebrations
marking the jubilee of the republic's capital Astana and the birthday of President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Among leaders who arrive for the celebrations will be also Jordan's King Abdullah II, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. Medvedev is planned to have bilateral meetings with Nazarbayev, Abdullah II and Gul, the Russian president's aide Sergei Prikhodko told Itar-Tass.

"The Georgian side said that it wanted to hold talks. We do not rule out such contacts in the corridors. If there is no separate bilateral meeting, there will be contacts in the corridors," the aide said.

Medvedev will discuss with Abdullah II the situation in the Middle
East and with the Turkish president economic cooperation, energy resource transportation and humanitarian cooperation, the official said.

It will be the second visit by Medvedev as a Russian president to
Kazakhstan. On May 22, he was in Astana on a state visit, during which
developing bilateral cooperation was discussed. Integration issues in the framework of the EuroAsEC, the CSTO and the CIS will be discussed now, Prikhodko said, adding that Kazakhstan is a real ally of Russia in promotion of integration processes in the CIS space and in the Customs Union framework.

Among other themes Medvedev and Nazarbayev will discuss is development of strategic partnership on the basis of deep cooperation in the areas of high technologies and innovation. Particular important in recent time is development of cooperation in scientific areas, including in the field of nanotechnologies, civil atomic energy, peaceful space exploration and in the military technical area, Prikhodko noted.

In Astana, Medvedev and other guests of Nazarbayev will participate in the meeting marking the tenth anniversary of the Kazakh capital, see the main sights and acquaint themselves with city development plans. The Russian president is planned to speak at the celebration.

On July 6, leaders of states will congratulate Nazarbayev on his
birthday.