Kazakh leader speaks to Putin, says rule of law must be upheld

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke to Russian leader Vladimir Putin by telephone on Saturday, Tokayev's office said, and described the events in Russia as its internal affair while saying rule of law was necessary to maintain order.

Putin briefed Tokayev on the situation in Russia, the Kazakh president's office said, and thanked him for the understanding Kazakhstan has expressed.