WASHINGTON, January 12. / TASS /. The US hails the announcement that the CSTO peacekeeping forces have finished their mission in Kazakhstan and calls on the contingent to promptly leave the country, as the republic’s authorities have requested, Spokesperson for the US Department of State Ned Price said at a briefing.
"We do welcome the reports of calm in the city of Almaty that we’ve heard in recent hours and over the course of the past day. We also welcome President Tokayev’s announcement that the CSTO collective peacekeeping forces have completed their mission. Until that process is completed and until the CSTO peacekeeping forces are withdrawn, we’ll continue to call upon all collective security treaty organization, collective peacekeeping forces to respect international human rights and to uphold their commitment to promptly depart Kazakhstan, as the Government of Kazakhstan has requested," Price noted.
Protests erupted in several Kazakh cities on January 2, escalating into mass riots with government buildings getting ransacked in several cities a few days later. The ensuing violence left scores of people injured, with fatalities also being reported. Subsequently, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev turned to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) requesting assistance from the Russia-led bloc. As a result, peacekeepers have already been deployed to Kazakhstan. Law and order, Kazakh authorities affirm, was restored to all of the country’s regions.
As the Kazakh leader stated on Tuesday, the withdrawal of the CSTO forces will start in two days.