The Head of State hold bilateral talks with President of the European Council Charles Michel. The virtual meeting was held on the initiative of the European side.
During the conversation that took place in a friendly and trusting manner, the parties discussed the current domestic political situation in Kazakhstan and the prospects for the development of strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and the European Union.
At Charles Michel’s request, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev thoroughly informed him about the reasons of the current situation in Kazakhstan and the measures taken by the state. The President spoke about the cruel attacks of terrorists and militants who tried to undermine the constitutional order and carry out a coup d'etat.
The President characterized the tragic events an unprecedented act of aggression and assault on our statehood. He added that the violent actions of terrorists caused numerous casualties among law enforcement officers and civilians, about 1,300 businesses were damaged, more than 100 trade centers, banks were attacked, about 500 police cars were burned. According to President Tokayev, the preliminary economic damage to the country may amount up to US$ 2-3 billion.
“I have no doubt that it was a terrorist attack. A well-organized and prepared act of aggression against Kazakhstan with the participation of foreign militants. They are mostly from Central Asian countries, including Afghanistan. There were also militants from the Middle East. The goal was to form a zone of controlled chaos in Kazakhstan forward by forceful seizure of power. That is why, the counter terrorism operation has been launched in Kazakhstan,” the Head of State said.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gave a clear explanation about the deployment of the CSTO peacekeeping forces on Kazakhstan’s territory.
“I would like to emphasize that they do not take part in military operations. Their main task is to ensure the protection of strategic facilities in Almaty and the capital of Kazakhstan. This allowed the Kazakh law enforcement agencies to carry out actions to counter terrorists. The peacekeeping forces were deployed in accordance with articles 2 and 4 of the CSTO Collective Security Treaty, and they will remain until the situation is fully stabilized,” the President of Kazakhstan said.
The President stressed Kazakhstan’s commitment to comply with all its international obligations and reaffirmed the intention to further developing cooperation with the EU institutions and its member states.
In turn, Charles Michel carefully listened to the information by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and noted the great usefulness of this virtual meeting. As he said, the meeting allowed him to learn more about the latest developments in our country. He pointed out the importance of obtaining reliable information amid various misinterpretations of what is happening in Kazakhstan.
“We support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of your country. We are ready to further strengthen cooperation with Kazakhstan,” the President of the European Council said.
Following the talks, President Tokayev and President Michel agreed to maintain constant contacts at the level of foreign policy structures.
