MOSCOW, April 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Kazakhstan have agreed to reduce the rent for firing ranges by $3 million per year, Russia's defense minister said Tuesday.
Sergei Ivanov said an agreement on new conditions for leasing firing ranges in Kazakhstan totaling 10 million hectares had been signed during President Nursultan Nazarbayev's visit to Moscow.
The sides also signed an agreement granting an orbital position to the Central Asian republic's communications and broadcasting satellite Kazsat.
Nazarbayev said during the talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that both agreements were highly important and pointed to the development of the bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
Bilateral trade doubled in 2005 to $10 billion, and experts forecast further growth if the countries settle tariff issues.
Putin said Russian exports to Kazakhstan had grown by 40% in 2005.
Other documents signed during Nazarbayev's visit included a cooperation agreement between state-owned foreign trade bank Vneshekonombank and the Eurasian Industrial Association, and a cooperation plan for 2006 between the Russian and Kazakh foreign ministries.
