Russian diplomat: Civil unrest in Kazakhstan provoked by foreign forces

SANAA, Jan. 08 (YPA) – Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said on Saturday that the civil unrest in Kazakhstan has been provoked by outside forces that want to undermine the security and safety of the Central Asian country

“Russia views the externally provoked violent developments in the friendly country as aimed to disrupt its security and integrity. We will assist efforts to restore normal life in Kazakhstan,” Anatoly Antonov told Newsweek.

Commenting on western countries’ concern over the CSTO’s decision to send peacekeepers to Kazakhstan, Antonov said, “As for Washington’s role, we hope that no one will question the right of Kazakhstan to apply to Article 4 of the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s charter. It was exercised to ensure law and order in the allied republic.

Kazakhstan has been experiencing a wave of protests for days, starting with economic demands that have turned into violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces in a number of cities, including Alma-Ata, the country’s largest city.

E.M