Russia expects its military and defence cooperation with Kyrgyzstan to expand, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday during a visit to a Russian airbase near the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

Putin is making a two-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, during which he is due to attend a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit on Friday.

It is Putin's first international visit since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him in March. (Reporting by Reuters Editing by Andrew Osborn)