YEREVAN, Jan 10, (Asia Free Press): An extraordinary online meeting of the Collective Security Council (CSC) of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is scheduled on Monday on Kazakhstan’s current situation, Armenian Government’s press service said in a statement issued.
The meeting will discuss the current situation in Kazakhstan, where massive riots have been staged against high fuel prices, which have led to a state of emergency and the resignation of the Government.
In Kazakhstan, the protests broke out on Jan 02, when drivers in the city of Zhanaozen in the country’s oil-rich Mangystau region staged demonstrations against colossal price hikes for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which later spread to the city of Aktau.
The protests, started in Atyrau, Aktobe and Oral, where the country’s petroleum and natural gas reserves are located, spread to other corners of Kazakhstan and turned into public demonstrations.
As the protests spread across the country, Kazakh President Tokayev declared a state of emergency in Almaty and the Mangystau region to maintain public security from Jan 5-19. He also imposed a curfew in Almaty, the country’s former capital, where thousands of people had taken to the streets.
Later, the Kremlin said while confirming President Vladimir Putin’s attendance in the said virtual meeting of the CSTO countries’ leaders, which will be hosting Armenian officials, reported AKI Press.
A few days ago, the CSTO deployed peacekeeping forces to the Central Asian country to help normalize the situation following days of violent protests.
The Collective Security Council of the CSTO is the organization’s highest body, consisting of six member states, including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.
