MINSK, 10 January (BelTA) – The contingent of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will return to their permanent duty stations immediately after the completion of the counter-terrorist operation in Kazakhstan, State Secratry of the Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich told the media as he commented on the outcome of the special session of the CSTO Collective Security Council on 10 January, BelTA has learned.
According to him, the leaders of the CSTO countries discussed, among other issues, the terms for the return of the contingent of the CSTO collective peacekeeping forces. “The contingent, in accordance with the CSTO mandate to conduct a peacekeeping operation, has been deployed for a short period of time - until the completion and stabilization of the situation in the country,” Aleksandr Volfovich said.
According to him, the situation in Kazakhstan is gradually stabilizing, the conflict is nearing completion. "The government has already taken the country's north and north-west under control and almost 90% of settlements, cities and regions. There is some instability in the city of Almaty and Almaty Region where the counter-terrorist operation is still in progress. Upon its completion, the contingents will immediately return to their permanent deployment places in their countries (which was confirmed by the leadership of the countries today). The heads of state confirmed that not a single peacekeeper will remain on the territory of Kazakhstan after that," the state secretary of the Security Council emphasized.
