3 yıl önce

Kazakh president Tokayev warns 'terrorists' still active in call with Putin

Kazakh president Tokayev and Russian counterpart Putin have held a "lengthy" phone conversation to discuss the situation in Kazakhstan following unprecedented unrest, according to the Kremlin.

Reuters

Tokayev said Kazakhstan would relentlessly pursue what he called the fight against terrorism.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Kazakhstan was still being subjected to "terrorist" attacks in some places despite measures to quell unrest.

Tokayev said that Kazakhstan would relentlessly pursue what he called the fight against terrorism, according to a statement on the presidential website on Saturday.

The Kremlin on the other hand said in a statement that Tokayev informed Putin "in detail" about the situation in the country in a phone conversation, "noting that it is developing towards stabilisation".

"The presidents exchanged views on the measures taken to restore order in Kazakhstan," the Kremlin said.

The two leaders agreed to remain in "constant" contact and to hold a CSTO video conference meeting in the coming days, the Kremlin added.

Moreover, another official statement from Nur-Sultan announced that Kazakhstan has declared January 10 a day of national mourning for those who lost their lives due to massive countrywide protests.

“In connection with the numerous human casualties as a result of tragic events in a number of regions of the country, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev decided to declare January 10, 2022, a day of national mourning," Press Secretary Berik Uali wrote on Facebook.

Russian deployment

The aftermath of violent protests was still visible in Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty on Saturday, with state television showing burned out vehicles, broken windows and buildings with burn patches.

Earlier this week, Tokayev thanked the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) military alliance and "especially" Russia for its help in quelling the protests that broke out against an increase in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices over the past week.

According to the Kazakh Interior Ministry, at least 18 security officers and 26 protesters have lost their lives during the ongoing unrest.

So far, 4,266 people were detained, including citizens of neighbouring countries, the country’s interior minister said in a statement.

Long seen as one of the most stable of the five ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia, Kazakhstan plunged into chaos, prompting Tokayev to call in troops from the Moscow-led alliance.