Putin’s Kazakhstan statement: Faced with terror attacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Kazakhstan’s President Kasim Cömert Tokayev in the capital Moscow. Referring to the street protests in Kazakhstan before the bilateral meeting, Tokayev said, “At the moment the investigation is ongoing, the first results are coming out. I’m afraid there are many casualties. Investigations are being carried out in each case, the perpetrators will be made public, tried and punished.” Putin said of the events in Kazakhstan, “Kazakhstan has literally fallen victim to international gangs, they have taken action taking advantage of the situation at home. We spoke to you before the new year, there was nothing to suggest that this was how things were going to turn out. But despite everything, the situation has recovered.”

“Kazakhstan has faced terrorist attacks”

Putin told a joint press conference with Tokayev after the bilateral meeting. In fact, Kazakhstan faced a terrorist attack with the direct participation of destructive forces inside and outside.” President Tokayev is doing his best to ensure stability in the country, Putin said. The society fully supports the country’s leaders to solve large-scale problems, and as Russia we will do everything to support the President of Kazakhstan in our share.”

Putin stated that military and technical cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan will continue, and expressed satisfaction that calm has been restored in the country with the support of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (KGAÖ).

“I did not meet macron after the visit to Kiev”

, Putin said, responding to a journalist’s question about whether there was a meeting between them following French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Kiev, Ukraine. But as I understand it, there was no negotiation between them.”

Tokayev thanked

Russia and the KGAÖ for supporting them during street events in his country and said, “We exchanged views on the most pressing issues of regional and global politics. I would like to emphasize that our attitudes and approaches in general have not changed. Russia plays an extremely important role in ensuring stability and security in our region. I would like to once again thank Russia and its KGAÖ partners for their invaluable support in repelling an unprecedented terrorist attack for Kazakhstan.”

Tokayev stated that they want to take their relations with Russia to a more advanced level. We agreed to continue a positive trend in bilateral trade.”

PROTESTS

IN KAZAKHSTAN People took to the streets in Kazakhstan on January 2nd against a hike in fuel prices in the cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau, and protests spread to Almaty and other cities across the country two days later. Despite the government’s resignation and the cancellation of the raises, the protesters did not back down, and the demonstrations turned violent. A state of emergency was declared in the country, where demonstrators targeted state institutions. President Kasim Cömert Tokayev had asked the Collective Security Treaty Organization, of which Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are members, to help suppress the violence.

It sent more than 2,000 peacekeepers to stabilise the situation in the country. After the suppression of events, the KGAÖ peacekeeping mission ended and the troops began to withdraw from Kazakhstan from January 13th.

During the protests, 225 people were killed and hundreds of security guards were injured.