Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have spoken by telephone about the situation in Ukraine ahead of Nazarbaev's expected visit to Moscow.
The Kazakh president's official website announced news the two leaders' conversation and said Nazarbaev expressed support for Russia's position in defending the rights of national minorities in Ukraine.
The press service of the Russian president earlier said Nazarbaev was due in Moscow on a previously unannounced visit on March 10 and would meet with Putin the following day to discuss "pressing international issues."
Nazarbaev was in Moscow to meet with Putin and Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka only last week to discuss their three-country CIS Customs Union.
The Kazakh president's official website announced news the two leaders' conversation and said Nazarbaev expressed support for Russia's position in defending the rights of national minorities in Ukraine.
The press service of the Russian president earlier said Nazarbaev was due in Moscow on a previously unannounced visit on March 10 and would meet with Putin the following day to discuss "pressing international issues."
Nazarbaev was in Moscow to meet with Putin and Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka only last week to discuss their three-country CIS Customs Union.