Registan.net

Kazakhstan said that it is ready to aid victims of the earthquake in Kyrgyzstan that recently hit the Kochkor region.

The Almaty administration today said it is prepared to render aid to victims of the earthquake in Kyrgyzstan earlier this week.

Baurzhan Iskakov, the Almaty city director of the department for emergency situations, said there are agreements between the two countries that call mutual assistance in case of natural disasters.

Agreements between the two countries aside, this is a smart move for a country that aspires to lead Central Asia. It is not as if Kazakhstan has loads of extra cash to throw around for disaster relief in the region, but playing a prominent role in disaster relief in the region cannot but help it build goodwill in the region while also giving it ammunition to back up its case to the West that it deserves to be treated as “part of the club.”

UPDATE: While looking for info on other posts, I found this, which certainly underlines Kazakhstan’s growing involvement in the region.

Stumble it!