Georgian MFA: flights available to Kazakhstan despite tension

The Georgian Foreign Ministry says that flights are still available to Kazakhstan despite large-scale anti-government protests in the country. 

The ministry says that the Georgian embassy in Kazakhstan also works in an ordinary manner and that the hotline:  +7 (717) 224-32-58 has been activated for Georgian citizens. 

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for support from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as anti-government protests are expanding in the country. 

The demonstrations began after a cap on energy prices was removed, doubling the cost to Kazakhs of liquified petroleum gas, which many people use to power their cars, from 50 tenge (10p) a litre.

The government claimed that the change was made as the previous set price was unsustainable.

A state of emergency has been declared around the country.