Nur-Sultan, Jan 10,2022: The State Secretary of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Erlan Karin, on Monday said the unrest in Kazakhstan was a “hybrid terrorist” attack carried out with the participation of both internal and external forces and aimed at overthrowing the government.
“We are faced with a hybrid terrorist attack on Kazakhstan with the aim of destabilization and coup,” Karin said on the Khabar 24 TV channel.
He said that there was a “conspiracy” of both internal and external forces and that apart from terrorist groups, information attacks were also used.
“There is a certain conspiracy of internal and certain external forces, since the participants of the, let’s say, terrorist strike groups, were both Kazakh citizens and foreign citizens,” Karin said.
The state secretary added that it is not correct to describe the events in Kazakhstan as an attempt to carry out a color or velvet revolution, since such scenarios would be ineffective in Kazakhstan given the specific circumstances in the country.
“Our country has held out. The president’s decisive actions thwarted plans for destabilization, including his decision to invite the CSTO peacekeeping contingent. There was a very critical situation …so it was necessary to take tough, decisive actions …The involvement of the CSTO forces thwarted all the plans of destabilization. Thanks to the efforts of the peacekeeping contingent, it was possible to concentrate our forces on conducting a direct counter-terrorist operation … this made it possible to protect state integrity,” Karin said.
Nur-Sultan, Jan 7,2022: Kazakhstan imposed a countrywide “critical red” terror alert on Friday, a Kazakh news portal said on its Telegram channel after its security forces managed to restore control over all city administrations and regional police departments.
Under the anti-terror norms, special services will be allowed to carry out searches of civilians and vehicles at will.
It can also restrict or direct their movement as well as gain access to information transmitted through various telecommunication channels.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will address the nation later in the day.
The alert level entails a full mobilisation of all forces and special services, according to the Kazakh Tengrinews.kz news portal.
So far 3,000 people have been detained and 26 armed individuals killed in clashes with the security forces, after mass protests in the country began earlier in the week as residents of Zhanaozen and Aktau opposed a two-fold increase in prices for liquefied petroleum gas.
The protests spread to other cities resulting in violent clashes with the police leading to loot and vandalism, the Khabar 24 state-run broadcaster said.
The Interior Ministry said 18 more gunmen have been injured, the Khabar 24 state-run broadcaster reported.
Tokayev has declared a state of emergency until January 19 and invited the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) peacekeeping forces to help bring the situation under control.
Peacekeeping contingents from Russia and Belarus have arrived in the country to protect strategic infrastructure facilities.
According to CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas, there are 2,500 peacekeeping troops on the ground and the number may be increased.
Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the phone and informed him about the counter-terrorist operation underway, a statement issued said.
Order has been mostly restored in all regions of Kazakhstan, with regional authorities controlling the situation, President Tokayev said.
He held a meeting of the counterterrorist committee, according to the Kazakh presidential press service.
New Delhi , January 6,2022: India is in consultation with the Sri Lankan government for the modernisation of the Trincomalee oil tank farm as energy security is an important area of New Delhi’s bilateral cooperation, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday.
“We have seen reports that the Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved the development of the Trincomalee oil tank farm as you know energy security is an important area of our bilateral cooperation with Sri Lanka,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday during a press briefing.
“We are in consultation with the government of Sri Lanka for the modernisation of the Trincomalee oil tank farm,” he added, emphasising that “this will allow for the storage of fuel and will augment bilateral energy security”.
With regard to Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s last month’s visit to India, Bagchi said that the Minister briefed the Indian side about the economic situation of the country and his government’s approach in addressing these challenges.
New Delhi, Jan 4,2022: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday exchanged New Year greetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and discussed the follow-up of the bilateral Annual Summit and the inaugural 2+2 meeting held last month.
In a tweet, the EAM said the two sides also agreed to remain in regular touch.
“Glad to exchange New Year greetings with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov this evening.
“Discussed the follow up of the Annual Summit and 2+2 Meeting. Agreed to remain in regular touch,” he posted.
On December 6, India and Russia held the annual bilateral summit, for which Russian President Vladimir Putin flew down specially to New Delhi for a few hours to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The two countries also held their inaugural 2+2 meeting between their foreign and defence ministers, with EAM Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holding talks with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The two sides inked 28 agreements, including key ones in the area of defence, hydrocarbons and for development of the Russian Far East.