Russia's Foreign Ministry Releases Statement on Events in Kazakhstan

Russia is closely monitoring the events occurring in Kazakhstan and advocates for a peaceful resolution of the problems in the neighboring country, as stated in a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

“We support the peaceful resolution of all issues within the constitutional and legal framework and through dialogue, rather than through street unrest and breaches of the law. This is precisely what the actions taken by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, aimed at stabilizing the situation and quickly addressing the issues contained in the legitimate demands of the protesters are directed towards,” the statement reads.

It is worth recalling that Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has declared a state of emergency in the Almaty region due to the unrest that occurred last night. The relevant decree has been published on the leader's official website.

Protests in Kazakhstan began in the early days of the new year. Residents of Zhanaozen and Aktau came out to protest against the doubling of liquefied gas prices. Tokayev instructed the creation of a commission to study the situation, which announced on January 4 that it was ready to meet the primary demand of the protesters and reduce the gas prices. However, the protests spread to other cities.

In Almaty, on January 4, protesters clashed with security personnel, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades. Meanwhile, protesters are gathering again in the center of Almaty. Videos posted on social media show a group of young people, one of whom is holding a special forces shield, which was likely seized from the clashes the previous day. Some participants of the march are using special vehicles that may also belong to the security forces.