Kazakh parliament ratifies military accord with China

The upper house of the Kazakh parliament on Thursday ratified a military accord with China on averting dangerous military actions in the border region between the two countries, Kazakh media reported from Astana, the country's capital.

The two sides, according to the accord, should not resolve contingencies in the border region through force.

The accord, ratified by the lower house on April 7, was submitted to President Nursultan Nazarbayev for approval before going into effect.

The lawmakers believe the accord would contribute to furthering good-neighborly relations between the two countries and cooperation between their militaries.

The Kazakh and Chinese governments signed the accord in December 2002.