Kazakhstan calls on Russia, Ukraine ‘to find common ground at negotiating table’

By Meiramgul Kussainova

NUR SULTAN (AA) - Kazakhstan’s president on Tuesday called on Russia and Ukraine to "find a common ground at the negotiating table.”

Speaking at the 22nd Extraordinary General Assembly Meeting of the ruling Amanat (Nur Otan) party held in the capital Nur Sultan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev decried the war between the two countries.

Emphasizing that the geopolitical situation in the region has “deteriorated unprecedentedly” due to the war, Tokayev said it is time to talk about solving this problem.

"We call on both states to find common ground at the negotiating table. We are ready to take on the mediation task, if necessary,” he underlined.

Tokayev said that his country is in favor of "territorial integrity and sovereignty."

"We insist on the principle of indivisibility of Eurasian security. I also expressed this during my visit to Moscow on Feb. 10,” he emphasized.

Since Russia's war on Ukraine began last Thursday, it has been met with outrage from the international community, with the EU, UK and US implementing a range of economic sanctions against Russia.

Russia was further isolated after its planes were barred from flying in European and Canadian airspace, and a number of its banks were kicked out of the SWIFT international banking system.

So far, at least 136 civilians, including 13 children, have been killed and 400 others, including 26 children, injured in Ukraine, according to UN figures.

Around 660,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, the UN Refugee Agency said on Tuesday.

* Writing by Merve Berker