BISHKEK, June 23 (RIA Novosti) - The United States
and Kyrgyzstan have signed a deal to create a "center of
transit shipments" at a former U.S. air base at Manas airport,
a source in the Kyrgyz government said on Tuesday.
The country's parliament is due to start discussions on
the ratification of the agreement later in the day, a lawmaker
told RIA Novosti.
"The center will be created at the airbase and most likely
inherit all of its infrastructure," the source said, adding
that the facilities would be used for the transit of non-lethal
supplies to Afghanistan.
The Central Asian country's parliament earlier voted to
terminate an agreement on the Manas base with the U.S. and 11
other countries involved in anti-terrorism operations in nearby
Afghanistan. Personnel at the base are set to withdraw before
August 18.
However, media reports have said recently that the
ex-Soviet republic could sign a new deal on Manas with
Washington in exchange for economic incentives and also for
U.S. concessions to Russia.
President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's decision in February to
close the base, which is staffed by about 1,500 personnel, was
seen as a victory for Russia in its rivalry with the West for
influence in the region.
Bakiyev said the closure was due to Washington's refusal
to pay higher rent charges for the base and public discontent
over the conduct of U.S. military personnel. He denied a link
between the decision and a large Russian financial aid package.
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