Kazakhstan intends to train peacekeepers for UN missions

Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Belgium, as well as to the European Union and NATO, Roman Vassilenko, presented his credentials to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and announced his intention to train peacekeepers for UN missions.

Following the official credentialing ceremony, the sides discussed the current state of Kazakhstan–NATO cooperation and broader international issues, Caliber.Az reports via the Kazakh Foreign Ministry's press service.

Vassilenko highlighted that Kazakhstan’s main goal in cooperating with NATO is the training of peacekeeping units of the Kazakh Armed Forces for deployment in UN-led missions.

The parties agreed to continue developing collaboration aimed at strengthening the peacekeeping capabilities of Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces.

For the record, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Vassilenko as the Ambassador in Early July 2025.

Kazakhstan has engaged with NATO since joining the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in 1994, shortly after gaining independence from the Soviet Union. The PfP framework allows Kazakhstan to collaborate with NATO on security, training, and interoperability without pursuing full membership, aligning with its multi-vector foreign policy that balances relations with Russia, China, the West, and regional powers.

By Khagan Isayev