The President of Kazakhstan, Kasym-Jomart Tokayev, asked for help from the heads of the countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). He said this on the air of the government TV channel.
According to him, the situation requires tough decisions, currently the military is conducting real combat clashes with "terrorist gangs".
"Terrorist gangs are now in Almaty and other cities. They capture buildings, infrastructure and, most importantly, premises where small arms are located... Now there is a battle near Almaty with the airborne unit of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan," Tokaev said on the air of the state TV channel.
"Relying on the treaty on collective security, today I appealed to the heads of states of the CSTO to provide assistance to Kazakhstan in overcoming this terrorist threat. In fact, this is no longer a threat, it is an undermining of the integrity of the state, and most importantly, it is an attack on our citizens, who are asking me, as the Head of State, to urgently help them," announced President Tokaev.
He also stated that the rioters, who staged pogroms in the country, had undergone serious training abroad.
Currently, protesters have seized the Almaty airport, including five planes. A number of infrastructure facilities in the city suffered from them.
The CSTO includes Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation and Tajikistan. CSTO member countries will be able to send their troops to Kazakhstan.
Prime Minister of Armenia Nikola Pashinyan, currently the chairman of the CSTO Collective Security Council, has already announced his decision to introduce CSTO peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan.
"In connection with the appeal of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.-Zh.K. Tokaev and in view of the threat to the national security and sovereignty of the Republic of Kazakhstan, caused, among other things, by external interference, the Collective Security Council of the CSTO, in accordance with Article 4 of the Treaty on Collective Security, made a decision will send the collective peacekeeping forces of the CSTO to the Republic of Kazakhstan for a limited period in order to stabilize and normalize the situation in this country," he said.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization is a military-political international organization that includes Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. It is positioned as an alternative to NATO.
