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In the near future, the Korean Navy will export high-speed vessels to Kazakhstan. The exports are part of a project to help Kazakhstan form its first-ever navy. Korea's Defense Ministry said that the Kazakh government asked Seoul last year for assistance in establishing a naval force.
Until now, Kazakhstan, a country that split away from the former Soviet Union in 1991, has maintained primarily ground and air forces.
The need for a Kazakh naval force arose in order to protect the country's oil refining facilities in the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan owns the drilling rights to major oil deposits in the Caspian Sea shelf, including one of the largest oil deposits discovered in over 30 years.
For the Korean government, the project carries a special meaning, as this is the first time that the Korean military is being involved in the formation of a military force in another country.
Seoul's Defense Ministry added Kazakh army representatives are scheduled to visit Korea some time during the first half of this year.
Arirang TV
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