Azerbaijani, Turkish FMs mull situation in Kazakhstan
By Sabina Mammadli
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu have discussed the latest situation in Kazakhstan in a telephone conversation, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported on January 6.
The officials exchanged views on the current situation in Kazakhstan, the ministry said.
"The parties also discussed issues of mutual interest," added the ministry.
Earlier, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that Turkey is closely watching developments in Kazakhstan, including the resignation of the government following mass protests over energy hikes, and values stability of the country.
Noting that it has full faith that the Kazakh administration will overcome the crisis, the ministry said it also hopes tensions are eased soon.
Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Kazakhstan are members of the Organization of Turkic States. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan share close historical, religious, and cultural ties. Both are littoral states of the Caspian Sea and possess a common maritime border.
In 2009, Turkey and Kazakhstan signed a “Strategic Partnership Agreement” which resulted in Turkey becoming one of the most important political and economic partners of Kazakhstan in the region.
The three countries' relations include multifarious aspects such as trade, investment, culture, tourism, health are among the wide range of significant levels they developed on the basis of mutual benefit.
Amid the fuel prices increase, big demonstrations erupted on January 2 in certain parts of Kazakhstan. It should be noted that public protests are illegal in the country unless their organizers file a notice in advance.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who took office in 2019, sacked the cabinet on January 5 in an effort to head off unprecedented turmoil, following an energy price hike.
More than 200 people were detained during protests that swept across Kazakhstan following a new year increase in prices for liquid petroleum gas (LPG), which is widely used to fuel cars in the west of the country.
Kazakhstan's authorities declared a state of emergency, following the illegal demonstrations. On January 5, the Kazakh president accepted the government's resignation. The curfew is imposed in Almaty and Mangistau region, as well as entry into and exit from these territories is prohibited.
The CSTO Collective Security Council has decided to send the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces to Kazakhstan.
In addition, under the president's order, Kazakhstan will introduce state regulation of the prices of liquefied gas, gasoline, and diesel for 180 days.
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