Kazakhstan is one of Russia's leading partners within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Izvestia. "Kazakhstan is, first of all, the largest economy in Central Asia. It is one of our leading partners within the CIS, as well as our strategic partner," he said. Peskov added that economic cooperation between the two countries is multifaceted. It is daily, painstaking work involving virtually the entire cabinets of ministers on both sides," the spokesman concluded.