Russian President Vladimir Putin has received the country's Minister of Defense, general of Army Sergei Shoigu, Tass reports.
It has been announced at the meeting that the mission of the peacekeeping contingent of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Kazakhstan has ended.
"The CSTO peacekeeping contingent has played a crucial role in stabilizing the situation in Kazakhstan. It’s time to return home. We have fulfilled our mission," Putin said.
Meanwhile, the Defense Minister of Russia Sergei Shoigu said that the peacekeeping contingent would be completely withdrawn from Kazakhstan by January 19, and peacekeepers from Armenia, Tajikistan, and Belarus would leave the country tomorrow by Russian planes.
Putin also noted that the CSTO military took control of 14 socially important facilities in Kazakhstan.