According to Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Azamat Beispekov, Kazakhstan wants to launch industrial production of drones in conjunction with South Korea. He told this to The Korea Herald.
«Everyone knows that South Korea is one of the global leaders in terms of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). We want not only to acquire drones from you but cooperate with you and share knowledge and skills,» Beispekov said.
He believes Kazakhstan can become a UAV center in Central Asia if it expands its cooperation with South Korea. Drones have a wide range of applications and might be used for forestry, agriculture and energy purposes, as well as for rescue operations and defense.
In turn, many Korean companies also want to enter the Central Asian market, according to the Korean media edition. For example, Kazakhstan and Korea have conducted a joint roadshow in Astana to show their drones and announce the creation of a Kazakhstani-Korean academy for drone operators. Korean experts will also assist their Kazakhstani counterparts in developing a training program for Kazakhstani high educational establishments.
«We want our drones to serve only our security and defense purposes. We are going to use UAVs for peaceful purposes, not military ones,» Beispekov said ins responce to a question about the possible military use of drones.
The official also told the Korean media outlet about Kazakhstan’s successful production of drones to deal with emergencies in Petropavlovks. Kazakhstan has also successfully tested Shagala-M drones, which cost half as much as their foreign alternatives.
