Putin discusses Kazakhstan with Lukashenko, Pashinyan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian President Vladimir Putin held phone talks with the leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan to discuss the situation in Kazakhstan.

According to a statement from the Kremlin, the sides agreed that the situation is gradually normalizing.

The three expressed support for the proposal of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to hold a virtual meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council in the very near future.

"Nikol Pashinyan said that the Armenian side, as the current chairman of the CSTO, will organize this event," the Kremlin added.

Almost immediately after Tokayev asked for help, the CSTO decided to deploy a peacekeeping contingent in Kazakhstan, with Armenia sending 100 troops to Kazakhstan as part of the contingent.

Throughout the mission, the Armenian peacekeeping unit will only protect buildings and infrastructures of strategic importance, the Defense Ministry said.