The leaders of the CSTO member-states held a moment of silence in honor of the memory of those who died in the disturbances in Kazakhstan.
The proposal to observe the moment of silence was made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the current Chairman of the CSTO Collective Security Council, during the organization’s emergency session held online on January 10, which is convened to discuss the events in Kazakhstan.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the swift resolution of the issue of sending a peacekeeping contingent of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to the republic.
"I would like to express the special words of gratitude to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin for [his] understanding and the quick resolution of the issue of sending the CSTO peacekeeping contingent to Kazakhstan. With you, esteemed Vladimir Vladimirovich, we have been in constant touch since the first days of the terror attack on our country," the Kazakh president said during an urgent session of the CSTO Collective Security Council held in a video format.
He also thanked Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for the swift approval of the necessary documents.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia plans to continue paying priority attention to strengthening relations with all Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states. "I would like to underscore that Russia intends to keep paying the highest priority attention to the strengthening of relations of a strategic partnership with all CSTO member states," he said.
The Russian leader also expressed his certainty that the leadership and the people of Kazakhstan will cope with the situation in the republic and will respond to the ongoing serious challenges with dignity.
According to him, the situation across Kazakhstan will be stabilized through joint efforts shortly. "I am convinced that, though joint efforts, the situation in the entire country will be taken under control and stabilized shortly, and the Kazakhstan territory will finally have peace and tranquility again," Putin said at the CSTO Collective Security Council emergency video meeting Monday.
He added that the situation is being gradually stabilized and that a number of essential facilities have been completely cleared of the militants.
"Thanks to the measures taken by the Kazakh leadership with our support, the situation [in the republic] is gradually being normalized; a number of essential objects, including the Almaty airport, have been completely cleared of terrorists and bandits by the Kazakh military and law enforcement," Putin said.
"Our organization has proven it potential, its ability to act swiftly, decisively and efficiently," the Russian leader said at the CSTO Collective Security Council meeting Monday.
According to Putin, "every ally contributed to completion of missions within the CSTO forces group." "It includes forces from every member state without exception, who are already actively carrying out the operational activities," the Russian leader said.
According to Putin,"this indicates that the long-lasting, meticulous work on establishment of a comprehensive system of CSTO member states’ security, including the collective peacekeeping forces, bears its fruit.".
All member states of the CSTO – Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are participating in the session.
