MAE: Romanian embassy to Kazakhstan received no requests so far for consular assistance

The Romanian Embassy to Kazakhstan has not received any request for consular assistance or evacuation, until now, but only four requests for information on the security situation and the flight schedule of the airlines, informs a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), Agerpres reports.

The MAE reiterates that the Romanian Embassy in Nur-Sultan is ready to provide consular assistance and reiterates the recommendation that Romanian citizens facing an emergency situation contact the Romanian Embassy in the Republic of Kazakhstan by calling the emergency telephone number: +77771926464.

Kazakh President Kasim-Jomart Tokaev said on Friday that he had authorized police forces to open fire "without warning" against "terrorists," rejected any negotiations and promised "the elimination of armed bandits" to put an end to the unprecedented unrest that this Central Asian country have been facing for the past couple of days, AFP and Reuters report.

"I have ordered law enforcement to fire without warning to kill," Tokaev said in a televised speech, adding that "terrorists continue to destroy property and use weapons against civilians."

Tokaev "especially thanked" Russian President Vladimir Putin for his quick reaction and help and for sending troops. He also thanked the leaders of China, Uzbekistan and Turkey for their help in stopping the riots.

The Kazakh president said peacekeepers sent by Russia and neighbouring states had arrived in Kazakhstan at the request of Kazakh authorities and would be in the country for a short time to ensure security.

At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced that Russian military units are being sent by air to Kazakhstan "24 hours a day" and are controlling the airport in Almaty together with the local police, Interfax reported, taken over by Reuters. Control of the airport was taken over by a group of protesters on Wednesday, but a Reuters reporter who went there on Thursday said that the Kazakh security staff had already removed the protesters from that perimeter.

At the request of the Kazakh government, Moscow sent troops as part of a "collective peacekeeping force" of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a body under Russian control.