MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/. The introduction of the peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to Kazakhstan demonstrated the viability of the organization, which gained new experience and established itself as a strong international institution, the ambassador of Kazakhstan to Russia Ermek Kosherbayev said in an interview with RBC.
"The CSTO has proved its effectiveness. And, moreover, its efficiency. For the first time, we have shown that there is an organization that works. The past events have become a turning point in the organization’s development, which has acquired a new quality as a strong international institution," he said, adding that the events in Kazakhstan laid the foundation for further raising the status of the organization in the international arena.
He stressed that now it is important to prevent speculation about the legitimacy of bringing in peacekeeping forces. "If there were questions about the legitimacy of the deployment of CSTO troops, this was primarily due to the lack of reliable information and misunderstanding of the situation," the ambassador said. However, he assessed the mission as very successful.
Protests broke out in various Kazakh cities on January 2, escalating into mass riots and attacks against police and military personnel, with government buildings getting ransacked across several cities a few days later. Subsequently, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev turned to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) requesting assistance, and as a result, peacekeepers were deployed to Kazakhstan. Law and order, Kazakh authorities affirm, was restored to all of the country’s regions by the morning of January 7. According to the General Prosecutor's Office, more than 4,500 people were injured in the insurrection, and the bodies of 225 of those killed were taken to morgues.