Finance Ministry of the RK to deal with Defense Ministry of the RK on the issue of debts

Natalya Korjova, Vice-Minister of Finance of the RK reporting at the meeting of the Parliament's Committee on economy, finance and budget on October 23, 2001 stated that President of the RK assigned Finance Ministry till the end of the current year to clarify with the Russian Defense Ministry the issue of debts for leasing Kazakh military sites. "Beginning from January 2002 we must start working with Moscow from scratch, i.e. to shift to financial mutual relations" - she said.

As Vice-Minister said, Russia pays on a regular basis to Kazakhstan rental fee of US$ 115 mln for utilization of "Baikonur" cosmodrome.

"At the same time Moscow does not pay rental for using military sites in the territory of Kazakhstan. The rental fee for each site is US$ 3.2 mln. Russian Parliament did not ratify agreements on rental of sites for it have not considered them yet" - stated N.Korjova.

N.Korjova also said that partial payment for renting on the part of Russia is training Kazakh military officers in the academies of the RF, but fees for studying in them are excessively high.