President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan, held a meeting with the leadership of the Defense Ministry. The meeting began with a minute of silence in memory of the servicemen who lost their lives during military exercise in the Mangystau region.
«I have sent telegrams of condolence to the parents of all the servicemen who lost their lives. The families of those who died will receive all necessary assistance. No family will be left without support,» President Tokayev said.
The Head of State called for not only the circumstances of the tragedy to be established, but also for those involved in planning the exercise to be identified, as well as for an assessment of how well the tasks set corresponded to modern threats. The Government Commission, the President said, should assess the officials responsible for preparing and conducting the exercise. In addition, in accordance with the President’s order, a comprehensive inspection has been launched at the Ministry of Defense. The commission is headed by Deputy Chair of the Security Council Aida Balayeva. The Head of State stressed the need for a significant transformation of the ministry’s work.
«It is time for a fundamental military reform. This is an urgent task. In this regard, I have made a number of personnel changes. I would like to introduce the new Minister of Defense, Aidos Myrzakhmetov. He is taking office at a challenging time. He bears an exceptional responsibility and will have to address extremely difficult tasks. The most decisive action is needed,» President Tokayev added.
The main goal is to build a new-model army using digital technologies and a command system aligned with advanced international practices. The President instructed that a specific, step-by-step military reform plan be prepared, which will be reviewed by the Security Council in October. In addition, the new Minister has been tasked with a number of other key priorities. These include improving the efficiency of budget resource use and strengthening ideological and educational work.
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