"Fortunately, there are so far no reports of any security problems that a Portuguese citizen is facing," Augusto Santos Silva said.

Portugal has a diplomatic representation in Nursultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, ensured by a chargé d'affaires, who has been in daily contact, "several times a day," with Portuguese residents in the Central Asian country, the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs said.

Dozens of people, including demonstrators and members of the forces of order, have been killed in the protests of recent days in Kazakhstan, triggered by a rise in fuel prices.

This morning, local authorities announced on public television that 12 members of the security forces were killed and 353 were injured during the protests.