Putin arrives in Astana to meet counterparts from Belarus and Kazakhstan

ASTANA, March 19 /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, to meet his counterparts from Kazakhstan and Belarus, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Alexander Lukashenko. Putin is visiting Astana at President Nazarbayev’s invitation, the Kremlin press service said. "The sides intend to discuss the state and prospects for developing trade and economic cooperation by the three countries and the influence of Eurasian integration processes in modern trends in the global economy," the Kremlin press service said adding that urgent international issues, the Ukraine crisis in particular, would also be part of the agenda. Putin will also have separate bilateral meetings with Presidents Nursultan Nazarbayev /Kazakhstan/ and Alexander Lukashenko /Belarus/. Russia’s relations with Kazakhstan and Belarus rather than the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union will dominate Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Astana on March 20, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists a day earlier on Wednesday. "Please, do not mix this format with the Eurasian Economic Union. Integration processes will not be the key topics. The talks will focus on trilateral and bilateral relations as well as regional problems," Peskov said. Read more