MOSCOW, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan's parliament on Thursday approved the closure of a U.S. air base in the
country, a key logistic center for U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan, Russian
news agencies reported.
The parliament, dominated by the ruling Ak-Zhol
party, voted 78-1 to pass the government-backed bill.
The United States began using the Manas air base
shortly after it launched anti-terror operations in Afghanistan following the
Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Kyrgyzstan concluded an agreement with the United
States on the Manas air base in December 2001. Another 11 countries from the
anti-terror coalition joined the agreement from December 2001 to February 2002.
To close the air base, Kyrgyzstan has to therefore
terminate similar agreements it had signed with the United States and 11 other
countries.
The air base currently hosts over 1,000 military
personnel, mostly U.S. servicemen. The United States will have 180 days to
vacate after receiving official notification.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said earlier in
February he had decided to close the air base, as the U.S. was not paying enough
rent.
The announcement of the closure came after Russia
offered Kyrgyzstan more than 2 billion U.S. dollars in aid. However, both
Kyrgyzstan and Russia denied any links between the Manas closure and Moscow's
financial help.
The closure would further strain coalition supply
lines at a time when U.S. President Barack Obama is planning to send more troops
to Afghanistan.
The new U.S. administration is considering resuming
military cooperation with Uzbekistan after the closure of the Manas base, to
ensure logistic supplies to Afghanistan.
The U.S. used the Khanabad Airport in Uzbekistan as
an airbase until soured ties in 2005 led to U.S. troops being evicted from
there, leaving Manas as the only air base for the United States in Central Asia.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Kadyrbek Sarbaev
said Wednesday that his country does not rule out the possibility of allowing
the United States and other countries to use its air space after the closure of
the Manas air base.
Sarbaev said the possibility had not been considered
but cannot be ruled out.
FM: Kyrgyzstan not in talks with U.S.
on air base
ALMATY, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Kyrgyz
government is not engaged in negotiations with the U.S. on the closure of the
Manas air base, Foreign Minister Kadyrbek Sarbayev said Friday.
Sarbayev spoke at a press conference in the capital of
Bishkek on the fate of the U.S. air base in Kyrgyz territory. Full story
Planned U.S. radar base in Czech
Republic still on shaky
ground
PRAGUE, Dec. 12
(Xinhua) -- The Czech Republic and the United States have signed two treaties on
stationing a U.S. radar base on Czech soil, but the planned project is still
clouded with uncertainties amid continued domestic and outside objection.
Although the treaties have recently sailed through the
Czech Senate, they need further clearance from the lower house of parliament,
the Chamber of Deputies, which might not be an easy task. Full story
