FRENCH, SPANISH MILITARY LOSE RIGHT TO USE KYRGYZ AIRBASE

RIA Novosti
Oct 26, 2009

BISHKEK, October 26 (RIA Novosti) – French and Spanish troops have
left a Kyrgyz airbase formerly used by the U.S. military and now
functioning as a center for Pentagon transits to Afghanistan, the
center’s spokesman said on Monday.

"The servicemen from France and Spain have left the center over
the expiry of the term of agreements that was due to the closure
of the Manas air base for the anti-terrorist coalition forces,"
the spokesman said.

Kyrgyz media reported, citing "well-placed" foreign sources, that
Spain and France had stopped using the airbase after the negotiations
with Bishkek on prolonging cooperation to ensure the transit of troops
and cargoes to Afghanistan yielded no results.

In February, the ex-Soviet Central Asian state ordered the shutdown
of the base, which had been used to support U.S.-led operations
in Afghanistan since 2001. The decision was widely seen as being
influenced by Russia, which had granted Kyrgyzstan a large financial
aid package.

However, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed in July a law
allowing the U.S. to continue using the airbase.

The U.S. will now pay Kyrgyzstan $60 million annually for the use
of the airbase as a transit route to Afghanistan, compared with
the previous sum of $17.4 million, which the former Soviet republic
received for the use of its airbase.