ALMATY, January 13. /TASS/. CSTO peacekeeping forces were able to quickly ensure the safety of civilians and the function of strategically important facilities in Kazakhstan, Colonel-General Andrey Serdyukov, Commander of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces in the Republic of Kazakhstan said at the contingent parade in Almaty Thursday.
"In a short span of time, you were able to ensure the safety of the people, assist in stabilization of the situation and ensure the uninterrupted operation of essential facilities," he told the peacekeepers.
According to the commander, the peacekeeping operation in Kazakhstan has been accomplished and all set goals have been achieved.
The commander thanked Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense for its help in accommodating and providing for the multinational peacekeeping contingent.
In accordance with the January 6, 2022 CSTO Collective Security Council decision, CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces were deployed to Kazakhstan for a short period of time in order to stabilize and normalize the situation in the Central Asian nation. Units from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan make up the peacekeeping contingent. The forces’ main mission was to protect key strategic facilities near Almaty. On January 13, the contingent embarked on its gradual withdrawal from Kazakhstan, and the pullout will take several days.