CSTO establishes working group on January events in Kazakhstan

The Collective Security Treaty Organization established a special working group on the January events in Kazakhstan, the CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas announced. He said that it was the first practical experience, and the operation in Kazakhstan showed the effectiveness of existing mechanisms. The military bloc intends to improve crisis response forces, as well as set up a biological defense system.

“The presence of the CSTO forces in Kazakhstan allowed focusing on the counter-terrorism operation. The CSTO peacekeeping forces were guarding strategic and socially significant facilities. The presence of the CSTO contingent played an important stabilizing role. A large-scale and comprehensive investigation of the events that have taken place is currently ongoing with the participation of society,” said Marat Syzdykov, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister.

“The Security Council will certainly take measures, if necessary. We have all the possibilities and mechanisms to get involved in a situation in any location. We hold military exercises in different countries and different parts every year,” said Stanislav Zas, CSTO Secretary General.

Translation by Saniya Sakenova

Editing by Saule Mukhamejanova