MOSCOW, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) have begun the handover of socially significant facilities to Kazakh law enforcement agencies, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.
"In accordance with the plan developed by the command of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the transfer of socially significant objects guarded by peacekeepers to law enforcement agencies of the country began," it said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the peacekeeping units that have completed their assigned tasks started to prepare equipment for returning to their permanent deployment locations.
"The return of the CSTO peacekeepers to their home countries will be organized in cooperation with the Kazakh side," it said.
The CSTO peacekeeping forces were deployed to the Central Asian country to help normalize the situation following days of violent protests.
