Lukashenko Says CSTO Operation In Kazakhstan Developed By Minsk, Moscow

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) peacekeeping operation in Kazakhstan was developed by himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin on short notice

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th January, 2022) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) peacekeeping operation in Kazakhstan was developed by himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin on short notice.

"I will say without boasting: this entire operation, down to the details, was developed jointly by the two presidents of Russia and Belarus within one hour," Lukashenko said at a meeting with the Belarusian peacekeepers as quoted by the Belta news agency.

The Belarussian president also noted that CSTO peacekeeping forces acted in a "timely and effective" way, which shows the readiness of all CSTO states to defend the sovereignty and independence of all CSTO members.

Protests began in southwestern Kazakhstan and spread across the country in the early days of January. In Almaty, the largest Kazakh city and economic hub, protests escalated into riots and looting. Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reshuffled the government and asked the CSTO to help battle "bandits and terrorists."

The CSTO mission was announced as complete and peacekeepers began to withdraw on Thursday.