RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 12 2004
KYRGYZSTAN MAY BECOME RUSSIA’S MAIN MILITARY-POLITICAL BASIS IN
CENTRAL ASIA
BISHKEK, August 12 (RIA Novosti) – Kyrgyzstan may become “the main
military-political basis for Russia in Central Asia,” declared Kyrgyz
foreign minister Askar Aitmatov.
He spoke on Thursday at the Russian aviation base in the Kyrgyz town
of Kant where he arrived to congratulate the Russian soldiers and
officers on their professional holiday – the Air Force Day.
The minister pointed to the importance of the Russian aviation base
in Kant and reported that the Kyrgyz foreign ministry had extended
its patronage to it.
According to Mr. Aitmatov, the opening of the aviation base in Kant
in October 2003 shows the allied nature of relations between
Kyrgyzstan and Russia and the striving of the two countries to make
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) “the foundation
for ensuring security in Central Asia.”
(The CSTO includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia
and Tajikistan).
“The opening of the aviation base shows that we want to pool our
efforts in combating the common threats within the CSTO framework,”
the minister said.
He also stressed that the Rubezh-2004 exercises of the Collective
Rapid Deployment Force held on the territory of Kyrgyzstan in early
August demonstrated the resoluteness of the CSTO members to react to
any terrorists’ and extremists’ threats, and also showed up the
possibility of delivering pre-emptive blows.
There are about 15 military and military-transport planes and about
700 servicemen at the Russian aviation base in Kant.
The U.S. military base is located 30 km from Kant, in Manas. It
appeared in 2002 within the framework of the U.S.-led anti-terrorist
campaign in Afghanistan. At present approximately 25 planes and 2,000
U.S. servicemen are permanently deployed in Manas.