MOSCOW

The Russian-Kazakhstan space project Baiterek has entered its final phase, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

"The Russian-Kazakh project Baiterek has entered its final phase, contributing to the development of Kazakhstan's national space program," Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow after a meeting with his Kazakh counterpart Yermek Kosherbayev.

The Russian-designed Soyuz-5 rocket, intended for launch under the joint Baiterek project with Kazakhstan, has recently passed successful firing tests, he said.

Russia also confirms its commitments to build Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant on schedule, he added.

“We welcomed the decisions taken in June this year to select Rosatom as the leader of the international consortium for constructing the country's first nuclear power station. I assured my colleague of our readiness to fulfill all obligations diligently in this area. On schedule and completely,” the minister stressed.

Turning to the joint projects with Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea where the two countries share borders and water resources, Lavrov said Russia views positively Iran's proposal to host the seventh Caspian Sea states' summit in Tehran on Aug. 12, 2026, which is celebrated as International Caspian Day.

Lavrov said he informed Kosherbayev about developments around Ukraine and also discussed with him other international issues, including the Middle East situation.