On January 10, an extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council was held via videoconferencing. The discussion focused on the situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan and measures to normalize the situation in the country.

On January 10, 2022, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan a meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council was held via videoconferencing. The discussion focused on the situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The meeting began with a moment of silence, and the Collective Security Council members honored the memory of killed in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas spoke about the situation in the country and measures to normalize it.

Dear Mr. Chairman!

Dear Members of the Collective Security Council!

"In connection with the situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan, on the basis of the appeal of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev and in accordance with your agreements to send the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces to the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Secretariat and the Joint Staff of the Organization immediately organized work to prepare legally sound decisions on conducting a peacekeeping operation and coordinating the deployment of the CSTO CPF in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The prepared draft Decision "On Measures to Normalize the Situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan” was sent to you for approval on January, this year. I express my gratitude for the prompt adoption of the document, which made it possible to begin the transfer of military contingents from the states to the Republic of Kazakhstan on the same day.

On your instructions, in accordance with the Agreement on the CSTO Peacekeeping Activities, the members of the UN Security Council were informed through the UN Secretary General about the decision to conduct a peacekeeping operation on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. I also informed the Secretaries General of the OSCE and the SCO. At the same time, the media were briefed on the essence of the decisions made and the mechanisms of their implementation.

Pursuant to your decision, the CSTO Council of Defense Ministers has formed the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces. Colonel General Andrey Nikolaevich Serdyukov, Commander of the Airborne Troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, was appointed commander of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces. The same CMD decision of January 7 defined the CPF tasks and other issues.

By the end of 9 January, this year, the deployment of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan was completed. Over the course of four days, more than 108 flights were conducted by aircraft of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation.

The contingents of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces are stationed in the cities of Nur-Sultan, Almaty and the Almaty region. The command post is deployed at the Military Institute of the Ground Forces in the city of Almaty. The Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics for the military contingents is organized by the sending states and also on a bilateral basis.

In accordance with the Plan of Operation agreed with the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Collective Peacekeeping Forces began to carry out tasks to strengthen the protection and defense of important military and state facilities, as well as to create conditions for stabilizing the situation in their areas of responsibility.

The CSTO Crisis Response Center has organized a 24-hour exchange of information about the emerging situation with the CSTO Command and the defense ministries of the CSTO member States.

A task force headed by the Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff has been sent to the Republic of Kazakhstan to coordinate the activities of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces. I will fly to Nur-Sultan tomorrow to examine the situation on the ground and meet with the commander and the leadership of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Dear Members of the Collective Security Council!

As of today, all the necessary measures to implement your decision on the deployment of a CSTO peacekeeping operation have been taken. Yesterday I spoke with Colonel General Serdyukov, Commander of the CSTO. According to his report, as of today there are no problems that require a decision at the level of heads of state.

By the way, yesterday it was very pleasant to hear the words of the general, the commander of our peacekeeping group, that all domestic and organizational issues are solved on the fly. Special thanks, of course, went to the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It was said that we live and perform tasks as one family.

Dear Members of the Collective Security Council!

As a conclusion. Yes, this is our first experience with such an event, such an operation. Of course, we will calmly analyze everything later and, of course, draw the necessary lessons and [draw] conclusions. But already now we can draw one, the most important, conclusion: the peacekeeping potential and the mechanism for its use that has been created in our organization, it really works and is capable of carrying out the tasks that have been set.

Thank you for your attention.

In the course of the CSC session, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Republic of Belarus - Alexander Lukashenko, the President of the Russian Federation - Vladimir Putin, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan - Emomali Rahmon and the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic - Akylbek Japarov spoke. 

Speech by Chairman of the Collective Security Council, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan:

Dear colleagues! Dear Secretary General of the CSTO!

Thank you for your prompt response and participation in today's special session of the Collective Security Council on the situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan and measures to normalize it.

In view of the current situation in the country, which threatens to escalate further, the President of Kazakhstan has officially addressed the CSTO Collective Security Council. On the basis of this appeal, in accordance with the Collective Security Treaty and the CSTO Charter, acting in strict accordance with the functions of the Chairman-in-Office of the CSTO, I launched a mechanism of consultations with the heads of CSTO member States.

Taking into account the official appeal of the Republic of Kazakhstan the tendency for rapid development of the situation, as well as the emergence of a threat to security, stability and sovereignty of the country, the CSTO Collective Security Council made a consensus decision to send peacekeepers to the Republic of Kazakhstan for a limited period to protect strategically important facilities in accordance with the Collective Security Treaty, the CSTO Charter and the Agreement on CSTO Peacekeeping Activities in order to normalize the situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Speech by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev:

 Dear colleagues!

"The holding of our extraordinary summit is due to extraordinary events: in a few days in January, the Republic of Kazakhstan experienced a massive crisis, it was the worst in the entire 30-year history of independence. Nor has our organization as a whole ever faced such a real threat.

I would like to thank our Chairman Nikol Vovayevich Pashinyan for his prompt work in coordinating the necessary documents. I would like to express special words of gratitude to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin for his understanding and for the quick decision to send a CSTO peacekeeping contingent to the Republic of Kazakhstan. We have been in constant communication with you, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, since the first days of the terrorist attack on our country. I express my gratitude to Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko, Sadyr Nurgojevich Japarov, Emomali Sharipovich Rahmon for their political and even military brotherhood.

Today we are in national mourning for those killed in the tragedy in the Republic of Kazakhstan. I sincerely thank you for your condolences.

I would like to express my gratitude to the CSTO Secretary General, Stanislav Vasilyevich Zas, and the entire team of the Secretariat and the Joint Staff of our Organization.

In fact, this is the first time that CSTO peacekeeping capabilities have actually been used to ensure the security, stability and integrity of a member State. Not only the military but also, above all, the moral support of our CSTO partners is very important to us. All the member States of the organization have spoken with one voice and strongly supported Kazakhstan's appeal.

I would now like to inform you about the current situation in our country and what has happened in the past few days. Having a complete picture of the events, I can responsibly declare that all the events since the beginning of this year are links in one chain. They are subordinated to a single destructive plan, the preparation of which has taken a long time. The investigation will show the length of this preparation - a year, two or three years.

Destructive forces have repeatedly attempted to undermine stability and cause turmoil. The state was being tested for its stability and strength. All these actions were firmly suppressed, but the organizers did not abandon their plans and proceeded to the preparation of armed demonstrations. As a pretext, they used the discontent of the population in several regions due to the increase in gas prices for automobiles. Rallies were held, the participants of which put forward socio-economic and socio-political demands.

All of them were heard and fulfilled by the state. The government resigned, the prices of autogas were frozen at previous levels. We announced a set of concrete socio-economic measures and a clear plan of socio-political reforms.

But for the organizers of the aggression against the Republic of Kazakhstan it did not matter. Under the guise of spontaneous protests, a wave of mass disturbances unfolded. Religious radicals, criminal elements, outlaw bandits, marauders and bullies appeared as if on cue. Socio-economic and socio-political demands receded into the background and were forgotten. This was followed by a hot phase and the armed militant groups.

The main goal became obvious - to undermine the constitutional order, destroy the institutions of government, and seize power. We are talking about an attempted coup d'etat. It is now clear that all these military actions were coordinated from a single center, a carefully planned operation has entered its decisive phase.

This is evidenced by synchronous, I emphasize, synchronous attacks on regional government buildings, law enforcement agencies, pre-trial detention centers, strategic facilities, banks, TV towers and TV channels. Airports were seized, roads and railroads were blocked, ambulances and firefighters were blocked.

During attacks on military units and army checkpoints, gangs tried to seize weapons and military equipment. There were real battles in Alma-Ata and other cities. For example, the fight around the building of the Department of Internal Affairs in Alma-Ata city lasted two nights. Police officers fought off terrorist attacks. In Alma-Ata alone, seven gun stores were seized. These were attacks by well-trained professionals, including snipers with special rifles.

In order to disperse the resources of the state, the organizers of the attack deployed the broadest front. The aggression covered eleven regions simultaneously, but the main blow was directed against Alma-Ata. As you know, this is our largest city and the financial center of the country, where the most important transport and communication hubs are concentrated. The fall of this city would have opened the way to the capture of the entire densely populated south and then the entire country. The terrorists hoped to draw back the forces of law and order in order to attack the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan. We saw clusters of militants around the president's residence. In fact, it was a real terrorist war unleashed against our state by a variety of methods.

This required us to take unprecedented measures. The Kazakhstan's law enforcement agencies were able to mobilize in the shortest time possible and repel the attackers, taking the situation under their control. Unfortunately, this came at a very high price - losses among law enforcers and civilians. Sixteen security personnel were killed and more than 1,300 were wounded. Unfortunately, there were also casualties among the civilian population - the exact number is being clarified.

Across the country, 1,270 businesses were affected. More than 100 shopping centers and banks were looted. About 500 police vehicles alone were damaged and burned. Huge material damage was caused, the size of which is being assessed by a special government commission.

I can say with certainty about the direct involvement of terrorists, including foreign fighters, in the aggression against the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is no coincidence that bandits attacked morgues at night and took away the bodies of their dead accomplices. They also took the bodies of fighters right off the battlefield. This is a practice of international terrorists of known origins: it is the way they cover their tracks. There is clearly a plan to form a zone of chaos on our territory, with the subsequent seizure of power.

In accordance with the decision of the Security Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, based on a comprehensive analysis of law enforcement and special services, the situation was qualified as a threat of terrorism and an act of aggression. Events in the Republic of Kazakhstan became critical. Alma-Ata and nine regional centers found themselves in the hands of bandits. We declared an anti-terrorist operation.

The Republic of Kazakhstan has requested assistance from the CSTO. It turned out to be extremely timely. After learning about the arrival of three military transport planes in the capital, the militants abandoned their plans to seize the presidential residence. This gave us the opportunity to send additional forces to Alma-Ata and to repel the city from the terrorists.

In accordance with the decision of the Collective Security Council, the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces of 2030 personnel and 250 units of equipment are currently deployed in the Republic of Kazakhstan and has begun to carry out its assigned tasks. They provide cover and security for airports, military warehouses and other strategic facilities. In a little later, we will hear a report from the CSTO Secretary General on the situation and the tasks being accomplished.

As I said, this is the first CSTO peacekeeping mission. I am sure that the organization will gain useful positive experience, bottlenecks will be analyzed and appropriate conclusions will be drawn, adjustments will be made to the regulatory documents.

In general, I would like to emphasize that the CSTO has shown its relevance and effectiveness as an authoritative politico-military organization - it is a really working mechanism for ensuring the stability and security of our states.

In fact, these events were a turning point in the development of the organization, which has acquired new qualities as a strong international institution. The threats faced by the Republic of Kazakhstan are common to the entire collective security space, so it is important that we continue to strengthen the strong potential of the CSTO, and the Republic of Kazakhstan will make its own contribution to this end.

One possible recommendation would be to optimize the timing of responses to crisis situations. We must improve the timeliness of the development and adoption of approving decisions by the Collective Security Council and other bodies.

It is also important to ensure maximum political support for the decision to use CSTO Peacekeeping Forces, especially from the United Nations and other authoritative international organizations, the world's leading media, and think tanks in different countries.

We can already see that there are questions about the legitimacy of the entry of CSTO forces. This is due to the lack of reliable information and misunderstanding of the entire situation. In some cases, in the international community, including the foreign media, there is a completely wrong interpretation of both the use of CSTO forces and the reading of the situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Despite all the facts provided, some sources claim that the authorities in the Republic of Kazakhstan are fighting peaceful protesters. This is absolute misinformation. We have never used and will never use armed force against peaceful demonstrators.

Knowing this, the organizers of the attack on the Republic of Kazakhstan arranged several waves of aggression. At the first stage, as I said, there were peaceful protests. Then, particularly in Alma-Ata, political rallies were held, and then armed militants rushed into the city from three directions, like a huge pack of hyenas. At first, they pretended to be peaceful protesters, misled law enforcement forces and even city residents, and then began what will probably go down in history as the Alma-Ata tragedy.

Meanwhile, the Charter of the United Nations recognizes the inalienable right of every state to individual, I emphasize, or collective self-defense in the event of an armed attack from outside.

In the near future, after the completion of the preliminary investigation, we will present to the world community additional evidence of the preparation and conduct of terrorist aggression against our country.

As we can see, certain media and public institutions continue throwing in false information based on fictions and unverified facts. I am sure that international organizations, including the UN, the OSCE, the SCO, the CIS, and international humanitarian organizations are interested in a full and impartial investigation of the illegal actions of terrorists, criminals, and malefactors.

At the same time, no hasty conclusions should be drawn.

I thank everyone who has been confident from the very beginning that the Republic of Kazakhstan will overcome this difficult stage in our recent history, especially the CSTO. I am convinced that with our joint efforts, we will make sure that the temporary deployment of CSTO peacekeeping capabilities in the Republic of Kazakhstan will be as safe and effective as possible. I must say bluntly that the mission of the CSTO peacekeeping contingent was extremely effective and useful.

From our side, I think, this is a lesson for the Republic of Kazakhstan, but I think it will be useful for all the states that are partners in the organization. In no case should we allow an information vacuum to be filled by provocateurs or ill-wishers. Unfortunately, this continues in our case.

In this situation, our recent decision to establish the institution of a special representative of the CSTO Secretary General for peacekeeping activities confirms its relevance.

I would like to make it clear that we will firmly defend the right of the people of the Republic of Kazakhstan to a peaceful expression of their will and an open dialogue with the authorities. At the same time, we will strictly suppress any forms of violent extremism, and especially combat actions against the Republic of Kazakhstan, as has happened recently. We will not allow any attempts on our state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

I want to assure you that the Republic of Kazakhstan will firmly comply with its international obligations.

Dear friends, colleagues!

At present, constitutional order has been restored in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and dangerous threats to the country's security have been averted. As part of the anti-terrorist operation, work is underway to identify those involved in the crimes.

As of today, about 8,000 people have been brought to the police. Law enforcement and special agencies are checking their involvement in acts of terrorism, murder, looting and other crimes. 116 weapons have been seized.

The operation continues, plans are being adjusted to identify the fugitives, who are using new tactics of disguise, changing into civilian clothes, shaving their beards and so on. There is a lot of hard work ahead of us, even veterans of law enforcement agencies and the army are involved. All government agencies are working hard to bring the country back to normalcy.

Tomorrow, I will submit proposals to Parliament on the new composition of the Government and set specific tasks to solve acute problems in the socio-economic sphere. In the near future the large-scale anti-terrorist operation and with it the successful and effective mission of the CSTO contingent will come to an end.

The main thing is to prevent the repetition of such events in the entire collective security space in the future. I think this is our main task for the near future. The Republic of Kazakhstan is ready for this work and will always support its allies.

Thank you for your attention”.

Speech by the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko:

Dear Nikol Vovayevich! Dear colleagues!

""First of all, I would like to thank dear Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich for detailed information about the situation in the Republic.

Today the President has declared national mourning in the country. On behalf of the Belarusian people, please accept our condolences in connection with the deaths of law enforcement officers, soldiers and civilians in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Analysis of the events in the Republic of Kazakhstan shows the presence, of course, of an external factor. Their scenario is recognizable, as the President of Kazakhstan has just said. You do not have to go far to find analogies: Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, not so long ago Belarus experienced a similar combined onslaught.

Certainly, these countries had their specifics, but a common handwriting is evident. Yes, we are now talking a lot about outside interference, and the President of Kazakhstan is right: a little time will pass and the names, addresses, passwords, and check-ins of these figures will be named.

But one thing must be understood: only the external factor will never be the only one - behind all external factors one must also see internal ones. This is the lesson we learned from the events in the Republic of Belarus. It is necessary to understand that there are too many people willing to blow up the situation around the Central Asian post-Soviet republics which are close to us, the people and the state of Kazakhstan. Just recently Afghanistan was added to this.

Once again, this is our inescapable conclusion: there are many international terrorists accumulated on the borders of the Republic of Kazakhstan - and events have shown this. This is the first point.

The second. In order to overcome these negative tendencies in our post-Soviet republics, in this case in the Republic of Kazakhstan, it is impossible to solve this problem only within the framework of Kazakhstan, even a giant country in terms of territory.

As we see it, I am absolutely convinced of this, that the closest peoples of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan should try together to solve the difficult problems that we have inherited and that we have already created in the post-Soviet period - it is Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The lessons that have been talked about a lot here must be learned - sorry about that - by Uzbekistan above all. If these lessons are not learned, according to our information - and you can already see that there, on the ground - their eyes are cast on Uzbekistan as well.

But the main thing is the lessons. Lessons, which the leadership of the Republic of Kazakhstan is dealing with today: external, which has already been mentioned - in the near future will make appropriate conclusions - but also internal reasons. Analyzing the situation in the Republic of Belarus, we proceed from the fact that in addition to the external reasons - in our country they were clearly visible, in Kazakhstan now it is not so much - the President of Kazakhstan is trying to get to the bottom of it all. I'm sure that he will. But we, based on what happened in the Republic of Belarus, do not forget that there were internal reasons. It is the same in other republics. We have to understand this clearly. If we do not understand this and blame only on the external factor, then we can get a repetition of events.

Let me remind you that the Emomali Sharipovich Rahmon repeatedly spoke about the risks and threats associated with the creation in the Central Asian region of sleeper cells of terrorists - quote - and extremists who may wake up at one moment. We took note of this, but probably underestimated the risks. Frankly, at times we thought we would never face such risks. Now we see that professional terrorist fighters are form the backbone of protesters in Kazakhstan. This is a very dangerous trend. We need to figure out who organized and led them.

I am sure that the organizers and leaders of the events in the Republic of Kazakhstan are deeply hidden. But I am absolutely convinced that both in the Republic of Belarus, in other countries, and in the Republic of Kazakhstan we will come to the same point initially.

I note, as colleagues have said, the timeliness and promptness of our decision to deploy CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces to the Republic of Kazakhstan. I am confident that our efforts have had a sobering effect on destructive elements and have shown the world the close ties of alliance and the capability and potential of the organization.

Based on this lesson, we need to improve both the CSTO manageability and the forces that we are willing to engage. Serious challenges await us in the future. It is necessary to strengthen the CSTO, to calmly and systematically build up all its components, above all its peacekeeping potential. It is very important to maintain the mobility and effectiveness of actions, and we should not be too shy in this respect, figuratively speaking, looking to the West, the USA, or some other states. If we look around sharply, we will break our necks. So we must deal with our own issues and see to our own security. When they have the slightest problems, they do not think about democracy, they do not look back at us, but act according to their own interests. We have to take this into account too. We acted harshly in the first minutes - you can see the result.

Judging by the activity of Western politicians, they are closely monitoring the situation. They first took a pause of two or three days - maybe it was a weekend, maybe something else - in order to get organized. After two or three days - and we talked about this with the President of Russia all the time, and what we had planned and seen happened - statements began pouring in, clear ones: "democracy", "freedom", "non-adoption of harsh measures", and so on.

It is obvious that the deployment of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces disrupted the plans of those who ordered and executed the provoked conflict. This once again confirms the correctness of our decision.

In this connection, I would like to point out that we must be sure to monitor the situation and act proactively to stop the possible causes that could lead to such consequences. The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan did the right thing when on the very first day he harshly questioned those who allowed the first symptoms of these events to happen. What's the big deal, natural gas, which has nowhere to go in the Republic of Kazakhstan, we should have raised prices two or three times.

In this regard, we should be proactive in the information field: we should not allow the peacekeeping contingent to be presented as occupiers. We can see that such attempts are already being made. We are not occupiers in any way, we did not go there of our own accord. We were invited by our brother, our friend, who is responsible for this huge country, and we provided the support that he demanded of us. It's a lesson for everyone, it's a precedent – a good precedent.

Today more than ever, dear colleagues, there is a need within the organization to increase the level of political interaction and coordination of positions in the international arena. The forms and methods of hybrid influence on our countries are qualitatively improving. Within the CSTO, we need to develop adequate responses, as I have already said, without looking back. Information exchange should be improved, and the analytical component should be qualitatively improved. Growing tensions also push us to revise joint measures to counter terrorism and extremism.

It's a good reason to get together at some time now and talk about the Republic of Tajikistan. The president of the Republic of Tajikistan has been asking us for years for material support, especially military equipment, and we need to do this, so that it doesn't cost us more, as it did with Kazakhstan. There were nearly 200 flights, and we had to move a huge amount of equipment, thanks to Russia's agreement to this. I would not want it to happen in Tajikistan. It is better to help it now, it will cope with these problems. This also applies to other republics. We should draw conclusions.

We have paid much attention to combating international terrorism, perhaps underestimating the danger posed by extremism in all its manifestations. It is necessary to timely uncover forces that in certain circumstances are capable of crossing the red line by becoming violent, as well as to firmly suppress their destructive activities.

As for the Republic of Belarus, dear colleagues, you can always count not just and not only on mutual understanding, individual statements and support, we will always be faithful to the agreements that we have reached.

Thank you for your attention”.

Speech by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin:

Dear colleagues!

""We are discussing at our session a really serious and worrying issue for all of us about the situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan and measures to normalize it. But it concerns all of us - I absolutely agree with Alexander Lukashenko.

As for the situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan: everyone knows that the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev has asked for help from members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization because his - a brotherly country to us - member of the CSTO has faced an unprecedented challenge to its security, integrity and sovereignty.

We understand that the threat to Kazakhstan's statehood was not caused by spontaneous protests over fuel prices, but by the fact that destructive internal and external forces took advantage of the situation. Those people who advocated the situation on the gas market are the one kind of people and they have certain goals, and those who took up arms and attacked the state are completely different people and they have different goals.

In doing so, elements of force and information support of the protests inherent in the "Maidan" technologies were actively used. Well-organized and well-controlled groups of fighters were used, as President Tokayev just said, including those who have been trained - obviously trained - in terrorist camps abroad, and, as Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich noted, their attack on the Republic of Kazakhstan - and in fact it was an attack on the country, on Kazakhstan - was in fact an act of aggression. I completely agree with that.

It was necessary to react to all this without delay, and the appeal of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan was immediately supported by all heads of CSTO member States and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, the Chairman of the Collective Security Council.

It is extremely important that our Organization, with the participation of its Secretariat, was able to quickly and smoothly make all the necessary decisions within a tight timeframe - and we can say that in a matter of hours - to prevent the Republic of Kazakhstan from undermining the foundations of the functioning of state power, the complete degradation of the internal situation, to put a barrier to terrorists, criminals, looters and other criminal elements.

The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan already told me in our phone conversations: people just wouldn't stop calling him, asking and demanding protection from bandits and terrorists.

Joint steps to assist the fraternal people of Kazakhstan were agreed upon as quickly as possible, and the CSTO mechanism really got involved. A contingent of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces has been sent to the Republic of Kazakhstan - and I want to emphasize this - for a limited period of time, for as long as the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the head of state of Kazakhstan, deems possible to use it. After the fulfillment of its functions, of course, the entire contingent will be withdrawn from the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. We were able to fully deploy this contingent in a fairly short period of time.

We regard our joint actions as an exceptionally timely and absolutely, of course, legitimate action. The CSTO units are in the Republic of Kazakhstan on the basis of an official request from the Republic's leadership and in full accordance with Article 4 of the fundamental 1992 Collective Security Treaty. It stipulates that in the event of aggression against any of the member states, all other States will, at its request, immediately provide it with the necessary support and assistance, including military assistance, and we are witnessing exactly the aggression of international terrorism: where did these gangs of armed men, trained in foreign centers and clearly having experience of combat operations in hot spots of the planet, come from?

Our organization has demonstrated in practice its potential, its ability to act quickly, decisively and effectively. Each of our allies has contributed to the fulfillment of our tasks as part of the CSTO military grouping, where units from all member countries without exception have entered and are already actively carrying out operational activities.

This shows that the long-term, I want to stress this, long-term, painstaking work being done within the CSTO to form an integral security system of the member States, including, of course, the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces, is producing results. It is important, very important, dear colleagues, that our countries' militaries undergo training under common programs and are equipped with common or compatible weapons, equipment and communication systems.

The skills of deploying peacekeepers were honed during regular joint trainings, in particular the recent CSTO "Indestructible Brotherhood" maneuvers organized on the basis of the experience gained by the Russian military in Syria. This was demonstrated by the high level of training, skill and coordination of our military personnel and their ability to promptly carry out tasks to combat terrorism and protect civilians. It was precisely this kind of systematic joint training and combat activities of troops from the CSTO countries that made it possible to deploy peacekeepers to the Republic of Kazakhstan in the shortest possible time and with maximum efficiency.

The CSTO contingent includes the best-trained units of the Russian Airborne Forces, all of which have real combat experience. The commander of the Russian Airborne Forces in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Colonel General Andrei Nikolaevich Serdyukov, is in charge of the Collective Forces in Kazakhstan.

The peacekeeping contingent immediately protected key infrastructure facilities and ensures control over them by the Kazakhstani authorities, namely the Kazakhstani authorities. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's security and law enforcement agencies are directly involved in counter-terrorism, combat operations, protection of civilians, and policing where necessary. That is, our servicemen have replaced them at infrastructure facilities and have enabled the President of Kazakhstan to effectively use his forces to bring order to the country.

As the speakers have already noted, thanks to the measures taken by the leadership of the Republic of Kazakhstan with our support, the situation is gradually normalizing. A number of vital facilities, including the Almaty airport, have been completely cleared of terrorists and bandits by Kazakhstan's military and law enforcement agencies. I am confident that with our joint efforts, the situation in the entire country will be finally brought under control and stabilized in the very near future, and peace and tranquility will finally return to Kazakhstan's land.

Of course, we understand that the events in the Republic of Kazakhstan are not the first and far from the last attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of our states, and here I agree with Alexander Grigorievich. And the measures taken by the CSTO have clearly demonstrated that we will not allow the situation at home to be rocked and will not allow the so-called color revolutions to take place.

And everyone knows that through the use of Internet communications and social media, attempts continue to be made to involve our citizens in protest actions, which is a precursor to terrorist attacks, as the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan clearly and quite specifically mentioned today - this is the chronology of events that have taken place in the Republic of Kazakhstan. It's quite obvious, we've all seen it all. Moreover, the experience of recent events in the Republic of Kazakhstan confirms that certain forces are not afraid to use cyberspace and social networks to recruit extremists and terrorists, to create "sleeper cells" of militants.

In this regard, we believe it would be to task the CSTO Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils within the specialized working groups - on information security and on combating terrorism and extremism - to submit proposals on joint counteraction to attempts of destructive external interference in the CSTO area of responsibility.

The main thing is that the tragic events that our brotherly country of Kazakhstan is experiencing today will not catch us unawares in the future and that we will be fully mobilized and ready to respond to any provocation.

I would also like to note the courage with which the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan accepted these events, took responsibility on himself, led all these events, consolidated around himself society, the power structures, the citizens of the country in order to fight back against terrorists from outside.

I am sure that the leadership of the Republic of Kazakhstan will do everything to ensure the normal functioning of law enforcement agencies and the country's economy - I don't doubt that for a second.

In conclusion, I would like to confirm that Russia intends to continue to give top priority to strengthening relations of strategic alliance with all CSTO member states. And of course, I am confident that the leadership and the people of the Republic of Kazakhstan - I want to stress that once again - will cope with the situation and will honorably meet the serious challenges that have arisen.

Thank you for your attention”.

The speech of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon:

Dear Nikol Vovayevich! Dear colleagues!

"First of all, I would like to express to the people and the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev our deepest condolences in connection with the tragic events in the brotherly country. We express our sympathy and support to the families and loved ones of the victims.

We are grateful to the President of Kazakhstan for the detailed information about the events in the country in recent days. We fully support the measures taken by the leadership of the Republic of Kazakhstan to normalize the situation and bring order to the country.

The Republic of Tajikistan, in keeping with its CSTO commitments, also promptly responded to an appeal from Kazakhstan's leadership to assist in eliminating the threat posed. Today, representatives of the peacekeeping battalion of our country's Ministry of Defense are serving as part of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces.

Dear colleagues!

I would like to share with you my vision of the situation. The information presented by Kasym-Jomart Kemelevich clearly shows that decisions were taken on urgent issues of socio-economic nature and stabilization of the situation in the country. The tragic events in the Republic of Kazakhstan once again confirm the need to strengthen our joint comprehensive work on combating terrorism and extremism, religious radicalism and transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking.

The fight against the destructive activities of terrorists, extremists, Islamic radicals and various criminal elements in our country has not stopped for the last 30 years, and we are well aware of the threat these forces pose to our security. The Republic of Tajikistan has been fighting against such challenges since the first days of its independence and has undergone a civil war that has taken the lives of more than 150,000 citizens.

At our meetings within the CSTO, the CIS and the SCO, I have repeatedly drawn your attention to the presence of sleeper cells of international terrorism, extremism and religious radicalism in our countries. These recruitment and propaganda efforts among citizens of the CSTO member States have not stopped for a single day. The extremely destructive ideology of religious radicalism is being intensively promoted in our countries, which has now become one of the main weapons in the hands of our enemies.

All this seriously increases the religious-extremist potential and poses a threat of destabilizing the situation within our states.

The aggressive activity of the “Salafia” movement and Wahhabism is particularly noteworthy in this regard. The followers of these movements, as you know, form the backbone of “The Islamic State”. We in the Republic of Tajikistan are strenuously fighting the propaganda and subversive work of the emissaries of banned organizations with all our might, and every year we record a quantitative growth of facts and phenomena of Internet resources of a terrorist nature.

At the same time, unfortunately, the trend of citizens of our countries, including migrant workers, falling under the influence of agitators of terrorist organizations is not decreasing. It is appropriate to recall that within a short time tens of thousands of citizens of post-Soviet states ended up in Iraq and Syria, some of them were destroyed. A logical question arises: where did the rest go, how many of them were detained or returned to their homeland?

Therefore, our countries need to establish more effective coordination of intelligence services to combat transnational organized crime, including in cyberspace. Within the CIS, I have already suggested developing a system for protecting information space. I believe that this initiative is relevant and timely for the CSTO.

At the same time, we believe it is important to continue work to identify and suppress channels for the movement of our citizens to regions with heightened terrorist activity. This also applies to the channels of entry and return to the CSTO area of responsibility of persons involved in terrorism and extremism.

We must keep a special focus on the problem of our citizens' uncontrolled departure for study at foreign religious training centers, where they often receive thorough extremist training. Over the past few years, the Republic of Tajikistan has not only neutralized the channels for sending its citizens for religious education, but it has also returned more than 5,000 of its citizens to their homeland from such centers.

Dear colleagues!

The increased activity of international terrorist groups in Afghanistan directly affects the CSTO collective security zone. We are well aware that since the second half of August last year thousands of members of ISIS, “Al Qaeda”, “Ansarullah”, “Hizb ut-Tahrir”, IDU and other terrorist groups were released from prisons in Afghanistan, which has intensified their activity and strengthened their combat and subversive potential. We are also extremely concerned about the fact that ISIS fighters, especially its “Wilayat Khorasan” branch, are strengthening their positions in Afghanistan.

Overall, according to our special services, the number of camps and terrorist training centers bordering on the southern borders of the CSTO in the northeastern provinces of Afghanistan is more than 40, and their number of fighters is over six thousand.

The CSTO member States should take very seriously the fact that our individual citizens, having watched how the position of terrorists in Afghanistan is strengthening and having gained their support, can go to the most extreme measures.

In the context of the events in the Republic of Kazakhstan, if it is confirmed that our citizens were involved in these disturbances, I think it is important to establish closer coordination of law enforcement agencies of the CSTO countries in order to prevent the recurrence of such cases, followed by the adoption of tough measures.

I believe that terrorists have no homeland, no religion, no nationality, they must be destroyed wherever they are, wherever they are. We fully support you, Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich. Our heads of ministries, security forces, law-enforcement agencies are in constant contact, and they work harmoniously.

At the same time, I would like to remind you that the decision of the Collective Security Council to form a unified list of organizations recognized as terrorist organizations in the CSTO format has not yet been implemented. This is very serious. In addition, we are particularly concerned that the Special Interstate Policy on Strengthening the Tajik-Afghan Border has not yet been adopted.

Dear colleagues!

Here Alexander Grigoryevich mentioned that the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border was getting more complicated every day. There is fighting right along the border between the Taliban themselves. In recent weeks, more than 11 Taliban have been killed and more than 18 wounded in one area alone. So we need to create a "security belt" around Afghanistan.

Dear colleagues!

In conclusion, I would like to express once again our solidarity and full support for the efforts of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev to establish law and order in the country. We are sure that fraternal Kazakhstan has all the strength and means for this and its wise people will be able to achieve complete stabilization of the situation in the shortest time possible.

Thank you for your attention”.

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Speech by Akylbek Japarov, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers - Head of the Presidential Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic::

Dear Nikol Vovayevich! Dear participants of the extraordinary session!

"First of all, I would like to thank the Armenian side for organizing today's meeting, the relevance and importance of which are beyond any doubt.

Once again, we express our deep condolences to the Kazakh side for the human casualties resulting from the clashes and wish a speedy recovery to all the victims. The Republic of Kazakhstan is our closest ally and strategic partner, and it is our duty today to express solidarity with the Kazakh side.

The ongoing global changes in the world, political cataclysms, transformation of challenges and threats to security and other factors are directly reflected in the emerging military-political situation in the region and the collective security of the CSTO. The tragic events that have taken place in the Republic of Kazakhstan are proof of this.

Using ongoing domestic processes, destructive elements combine their terrorist activities to undermine statehood, security and territorial integrity, while creating an atmosphere of chaos, permissiveness and rampant criminality.

In this context, Kazakhstan's initiative to activate the mechanisms of the CSTO collective security system in the current circumstances certainly confirms the unity of views of the CSTO member States on the existing challenges and threats to security.

The fundamental principles of the creation and functioning of the organization, its foreign policy and military components, taking into account the accumulated potential, allow a timely response to crisis situations in all their hybrid manifestations. At the same time, the main priority today remains the complete stabilization of the situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Dear participants of the meeting!

From the first days we have been anxiously following the events in fraternal Kazakhstan, opposing terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, genuinely interested in the earliest normalization of the situation and the establishment of peace and order in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Today it is more important than ever to find a mutually acceptable solution and prevent further escalation of the situation. Immediately after the request of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, respected Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev, to assist in accordance with the existing CSTO commitments, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Nurgojovich Japarov decided to send a limited contingent of the armed forces of the Kyrgyz Republic with a mandate to participate in the CSTO peacekeeping operation in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

On January 7, an extraordinary parliamentary session was called in the Kyrgyz Republic, during which this decision was supported by the majority of deputies. On the same day, January 7, a peacekeeping military contingent of 150 military personnel of the armed forces of the Kyrgyz Republic, including experienced officers and contract servicemen, as well as eight units of armored vehicles and 12 units of automotive equipment, flew to the Republic of Kazakhstan. I would like to stress that we are ready to continue to make every effort to normalize the situation in the neighboring country.

Dear participants of the session!

Instability and increased violence are more likely to lead to a deterioration of the socio-economic situation both in the Republic of Kazakhstan itself and to have a negative impact on all of us.

In this context, we consider it especially important to ensure all conditions for the unimpeded movement of passengers and cargo for socio-economic development and the maintenance of stability in the region. It is important to maintain the sustainable economic development of the region and to take the necessary measures to maintain favorable conditions for entrepreneurs, business and inter-bank relations.

According to reports, more firearms have fallen into the hands of criminal circles. There is a risk of criminal elements involved in looting and mayhem moving across our national borders.

In this connection, the current situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan obliges us to make joint efforts to restore stability in the Republic of Kazakhstan and prevent attacks on military, administrative, and social facilities in the country. As support measures, we have decided to allow citizens of all countries, including citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, to cross the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border into the Kyrgyz Republic without presenting certificates of negative PCR test results.

These days, the Kyrgyz side has also organized temporary accommodation for Kazakh citizens returning from Turkey, the Arab Emirates and other countries that were forced to arrive at Manas International Airport. Their transportation to the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border is organized.

It is also encouraging to note the fact that many citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic do not stand aside and treat the situation with compassion, providing all kinds of voluntary assistance. The entire Kyrgyz nation deeply empathizes with the Kazakh brothers in these difficult days and sincerely wishes for a speedy resolution of the situation for the benefit of the people.

At the same time, I would like to note that recently in the media and social networks there has been a spread of information regarding foreign nationals, including citizens of Kyrgyzstan, about their involvement in pogroms and riots. In this regard, let me express my request and hope that for each confirmed case there will be open and fair investigations within the framework of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and in strict accordance with our bilateral and multilateral agreements.

Dear participants of the meeting!

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the Kyrgyz Republic has always stood for stability, socio-economic development, strengthening of statehood and prosperity of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Kyrgyz Republic has always been and remains close to Kazakhstan. In case of necessity - if requested by the Kazakh side - we are ready to provide necessary assistance to the people of the Republic of Kazakhstan, based on the strong kinship between the two brotherly peoples.

Let me once again express my deep condolences to the Kazakh side in connection with the human casualties and wish a speedy recovery to all the victims.

Thank you for your attention”.. 

The Chairman of the Collective Security Council and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, spoke again at the conclusion of the CSC session::

Dear heads of delegations! Dear Secretary General!

""Thank you for the informative speeches and detailed information.

Unfortunately, we must note that in the CSTO area of responsibility there has been no decrease in tension and we continue to face new types of threats.

The current situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan is of particular concern to us because of the information provided on the involvement of international terrorist organizations.

In the recent past, we ourselves faced the emergence of foreign terrorist fighters in our region. We hope that efforts within the CSTO to help friendly Kazakhstan will help restore normal life in the country as quickly as possible.

Colleagues, it should be stressed that among the key priorities of our Chairmanship is the strengthening of the organization's crisis response mechanisms. On this basis, we expect the CSTO member States to step up joint efforts with a view to further improving these mechanisms, which would undoubtedly serve both to further develop co-operation among member States and to strengthen the organization's relevant structures and mechanisms.

Dear colleagues!

We have completed the exchange of views on the issue on today's agenda. Summing up the results of our session today, I would like to note with satisfaction the high level of mutual understanding between our countries regarding the situation in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The focus of our actions on stabilizing the situation as soon as possible and returning the country to normal life is obvious. This is a critical moment to ensure basic living conditions for citizens as well as the security of strategically important facilities.

Thank you all for your attention”.

The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, spoke again at the conclusion of the CSC session:

Thank you very much, Nikol Vovayevich.

"You know, I'd like to conclude with a couple of points - these are the ones..

First of all, the very high level of our cooperation and the willingness of our colleagues to work are really, in the full sense of the word - at any time of the day or night. This is what we have seen in the course of the events that have taken place and are still taking place. This is, of course, the result of the high level of trust that has developed between us over the years of working together.

I think that all our meetings, including informal ones, the last meeting at the end of last year in St. Petersburg also confirmed that all our contacts are beneficial and strengthen our cooperation. And I would like, of course, to thank everyone for that. This is the first thing.

Second. We need to think about improving the procedures for deciding to use joint forces. The decisions were all taken promptly, but we need them to be, in my opinion, uniform - that would improve the quality of our work, raise it a little bit higher and make our work even more effective. Although in general we have nothing much to complain about.

N. Pashinyan:  Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich.

Goodbye. Good day to you.