Pashinyan Discusses with CSTO Secretary General Again

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, has spoken with CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas. The organization issued a statement mentioning that during the phone conversation, details regarding the implementation of the CSTO's decision on stabilizing the situation in Kazakhstan were discussed.

Zas presented the progress on the organizational issues concerning the deployment of CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces. It was noted during the conversation that the transfer of peacekeeping units is continuing via Russian military transport aircraft.

The primary tasks of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces are to protect state and military significant facilities and to provide support to the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan in stabilizing the situation.

It should be recalled that mass protests began in Kazakhstan on January 1, 2022. On January 4 and 5, clashes occurred between protesters and law enforcement in Almaty. The police used gas and stun grenades.

Throughout Kazakhstan, internet connectivity was disrupted, and the broadcast of several television channels was temporarily halted. On January 5, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, declared a two-week state of emergency in the country and called for assistance from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

In response, the CSTO sent a peacekeeping contingent to Kazakhstan, which includes 100 servicemen from Armenia. According to data published by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, 26 participants of the unrest have been killed, and around 3,000 have been arrested for participation in the violence.