Kyrgyzstan approves new US air base agreement
Reuters, Jul 7 2009
Kyrgyzstan has signed an agreement allowing the US to continue using a key air base serving US aircraft in operations in Afghanistan, according to a presidential spokesman. The former Soviet republic had announced in February it was closing the base after securing pledges of $2b in aid and credit from Russia, but negotiations between Washington and the Central Asian state resulted in a review of the decision. The US agreed to pay $180m to Kyrgyzstan for the use of the Manas air base, which was set up by US forces when they overthrew the Taliban government in Afghanistan in late 2001. President Bakiyev’s spokesman said in Bishkek:
A law ratifying a US-Kyrgyz inter-governmental cooperation agreement as well as an agreement regarding the logistics center was signed by Bakiyev on July 2.
Russia agreed on Jul 6 to allow the US to fly troops and weapons across its territory to Afghanistan. The new transit route, agreed during a visit by Obama, takes pressure off supply lines through Pakistan that have come under increasing attack from militants.
