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Russia, Kyrgyzstan seal airbase pact

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW SEPT. 23. Russia and Kyrgyzstan have signed a formal agreement on the establishment of a Russian air base in Kyrgyzstan, the first major deployment of Russian forces outside the country since the break-up of the Soviet Union.

"Central Asia is a key region for us," the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, said at the signing ceremony, held in the Kremlin today on the sidelines of a visit to Russia by the Kyrgyz President, Askar Akayev. "We know that the situation there is stable, but not simple, (and) both we and our partners in CIS (the Commonwealth of Independent States) need our military presence there."

Russia has been refurbishing the air base at Kant, 20 km from Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, since early this year and the base is expected to become operational this autumn. Russia will deploy at Kant five Su-25 attack jets, five Su-27 fighters, several An-26 and Il-76 transport planes, as well as L-39 trainers and Mi-8 helicopters.

The Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Ivanov, said the Kant base will have a good runway and other facilities that would allow Russia to beef up its presence there at short notice if needed.

"The airbase will provide air support to the collective rapid reaction forces of the CSTO," Mr. Ivanov said. The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, as well as Belarus and Armenia.

The Russian base will sit close to a U.S. air force base at the Manas international airport in Bishkek, but officials denied this reflected rivalry for influence in the region. While the U.S. base was providing support to the anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, the Russian base, just as the CSTO rapid reaction forces, will help neutralise terrorist and external threats to Central Asian states.

"The Russian air base will become a bridgehead in the fight against threats and challenges and will help our countries promote stability in development," the Kyrgyz President, Mr. Akayev, said at the signing of the accord. The Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister, Vyacheslav Trubnikov, has recently reiterated Moscow's position that military presence by overseas nations in Central Asia "can be a stabilising factor only if it is firmly tied to the aims and timeframe of the anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan."

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