In Kazakhstan, where the protests continue since the beginning of this year, the main mission of the "peacekeeping forces" of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries was completed. According to the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in two days, the CSTO troops, deployed at his request last week, would start a phased withdrawal that would finish in no more than 10 days.
This was announced in the parliament by the president in an address to Kazakhstan's parliament on Tuesday, the Orda Telegram channel reports.
According to him, Russian-led troops sent to help quell protests will begin leaving Kazakhstan in two days now that the government is back in control.
"The main mission of the CSTO peacekeeping forces has been successfully completed," he said.
Tokayev also reported on plans to rebuild Almaty, and resume a special investigative task force instructed to investigate the riots.
In addition, he voiced the intentions to radically improve Kazakhstan's security forces to prevent a repeat of last week's unrest, promising to increase the number of special forces units in the police and create new ones in the national guard.
In a special session of parliament, Tokayev also promised to launch broad reforms to overhaul Kazakhstan's government and tackle economic problems in the country -- addressing concerns that led to the protests. He also promised to announce in September a packet of political reforms, saying Kazakhstan would "continue a course of political modernisation."
It's worth noting that the mass protests were triggered by a sudden hike in fuel prices, and came amid wide discontent with rising prices on basic goods and stagnant wages that have worsened with the pandemic.
On January 5, 2022, due to unrest in Kazakhstan, the President of the country appealed to the CSTO to help "overcome the terrorist threat". The Russian-led alliance sent troops late last week to Kazakhstan. In total, there are more than two thousand Russian "peacekeepers".