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| Medvedev on first foreign trip | Medvedev on first foreign trip |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is heading to Kazakhstan, the first stop in his maiden foreign trip since taking over as Russian leader. | Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is heading to Kazakhstan, the first stop in his maiden foreign trip since taking over as Russian leader. |
| Mr Medvedev will hold meetings in the oil-rich Central Asian state, before going to China on Friday. | Mr Medvedev will hold meetings in the oil-rich Central Asian state, before going to China on Friday. |
| In Kazakhstan, he is expected to urge the government to keep exporting most of its oil through Russian pipelines. | In Kazakhstan, he is expected to urge the government to keep exporting most of its oil through Russian pipelines. |
| Analysts say Mr Medvedev's choice to head to the East rather than West shows where Russia's foreign priorities lie. | Analysts say Mr Medvedev's choice to head to the East rather than West shows where Russia's foreign priorities lie. |
| The BBC's Russia analyst, Steven Eke says Mr Medvedev will be looking to maintain Russia's influence in Kazakhstan. | The BBC's Russia analyst, Steven Eke says Mr Medvedev will be looking to maintain Russia's influence in Kazakhstan. |
| Medvedev looks East on first trip class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7414517.stm">UK peers urge strong Russia ties | |
| The country, central Asia's biggest oil producer, is gradually trying to break Russia's stranglehold over Kazakh energy export routes. | The country, central Asia's biggest oil producer, is gradually trying to break Russia's stranglehold over Kazakh energy export routes. |
| But Russia wants Kazakhstan to sign up to a long-term deal to export oil through the pipeline leading from Baku, Azerbaijan, to the Russian port of Novorossiysk. | But Russia wants Kazakhstan to sign up to a long-term deal to export oil through the pipeline leading from Baku, Azerbaijan, to the Russian port of Novorossiysk. |
| Russia has been prompted to look eastwards because of what it perceives as Western attempts to limit its diplomatic ambitions, analysts say. | Russia has been prompted to look eastwards because of what it perceives as Western attempts to limit its diplomatic ambitions, analysts say. |
| The start of talks on a strategic partnership pact between Russia and the EU, for example, has been blocked for two years because of political disputes between EU member states and their giant neighbour. | The start of talks on a strategic partnership pact between Russia and the EU, for example, has been blocked for two years because of political disputes between EU member states and their giant neighbour. |