Kazakhstan says it continues fulfilling obligations under CSTO

'No crisis' in Russian-led intergovernmental military alliance, Kazakh defense chief says after abrupt cancellation of drills by neighboring Kyrgyzstan

By Burc Eruygur

ANKARA (AA) - Kazakhstan continues to fulfill its obligations under the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the country’s defense minister said on Wednesday.

"No crisis within the intergovernmental military alliance," Ruslan Zhaksylykov said.

"Let's rely on our state, on our legislation. We comply with all the established norms, everything is in order with us," he added, urging against speculation on the alliance.

The statement comes two weeks after top military officials and defense ministers gathered for a meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a regional Eurasian bloc of post-Soviet countries.

On Sunday, CSTO member Kyrgyzstan announced the cancellation of the alliance's military exercises a day before they were scheduled to begin.

No statement was released on the reason behind the cancellation, but it came amid border tensions between Kyrgyzstan and neighboring Tajikistan, also a CSTO member.

The CSTO was founded in 1992 and consists of six former Soviet states, namely Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

Kaynak: