"Kyrgyz ambassador: U.S. base must go, Russia's should stay
Moscow, July 11 (RIA Novosti) - The United States' military base near
the Manas Airport, in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, must
go and Russia's, at Kant, should stay, the Kyrgyz Ambassador to
Russia said Monday at a press conference here. Apas Jumagulov
recalled the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit
explaining the need for the Manas base's withdrawal by the fact that
the situation in the neighboring Afghanistan was returning to normal.
The SOC, a regional security alliance of Russia, Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and China, was established in 2001
as a counterbalance to American influence in Central Asia, shortly
after the U.S. had launched its military campaign against the Taliban
regime.
"I don't think it [the pullout] is likely to happen overnight, but it
will be happening little by little," he said.
The Russian base, 30 kilometers east of the capital city of Bishkek,
should remain in place, Jumagulov said, calling it "a key base of the
Commonwealth [of Independent States]."
He also said Russian-Kyrgyz cooperation was developing successfully
and that, consequently, Russia's Kant base could not be compared to
the U.S.'s Manas, adding that having a Russian base was of strategic
importance to Kyrgyzstan.
Jumagulov acknowledged the withdrawal of the U.S. base would not be
an easy process and that its pace would depend largely on
developments in Afghanistan, but said the goal had now been
identified and that the sides would be gradually working toward it.
"The American base is losing its relevance, and this is an issue to
be negotiated. This was predictable," Jumagulov noted, adding that
Kyrgyzstan and the U.S. had no other contentious issues between them.
Jumagulov said Russia would remain a strategic partner of
Kyrgyzstan's for centuries to come, something that had always been a
Kyrgyz priority and would remain one in the future."
http://en.rian.ru/world/20050711/40886695.html
Moscow, July 11 (RIA Novosti) - The United States' military base near
the Manas Airport, in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, must
go and Russia's, at Kant, should stay, the Kyrgyz Ambassador to
Russia said Monday at a press conference here. Apas Jumagulov
recalled the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit
explaining the need for the Manas base's withdrawal by the fact that
the situation in the neighboring Afghanistan was returning to normal.
The SOC, a regional security alliance of Russia, Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and China, was established in 2001
as a counterbalance to American influence in Central Asia, shortly
after the U.S. had launched its military campaign against the Taliban
regime.
"I don't think it [the pullout] is likely to happen overnight, but it
will be happening little by little," he said.
The Russian base, 30 kilometers east of the capital city of Bishkek,
should remain in place, Jumagulov said, calling it "a key base of the
Commonwealth [of Independent States]."
He also said Russian-Kyrgyz cooperation was developing successfully
and that, consequently, Russia's Kant base could not be compared to
the U.S.'s Manas, adding that having a Russian base was of strategic
importance to Kyrgyzstan.
Jumagulov acknowledged the withdrawal of the U.S. base would not be
an easy process and that its pace would depend largely on
developments in Afghanistan, but said the goal had now been
identified and that the sides would be gradually working toward it.
"The American base is losing its relevance, and this is an issue to
be negotiated. This was predictable," Jumagulov noted, adding that
Kyrgyzstan and the U.S. had no other contentious issues between them.
Jumagulov said Russia would remain a strategic partner of
Kyrgyzstan's for centuries to come, something that had always been a
Kyrgyz priority and would remain one in the future."
http://en.rian.ru/world/20050711/40886695.html