Kyrgyzstan not to support establishment of US-Russian military base

Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev does not support the establishment of any US-Russian joint military base in the territory of Kyrgyzstan, reports from Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, reaching in Alma-ata said Monday.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, Akayev indicated that he has not put forward any suggestions, as reported by Kyrgyz media, on setting up a US-Russian joint military base within the framework of "Russia-NATO Partnership" at a NATO summit held in the Turkish city of Istanbul on June 28-29 or on other occasions.

The statement said Kyrgyzstan insisted that the international community be united to jointly face threats and challenges in the current world under the principle of coordination and non-antagonism.

Therefore, the Kyrgyz government provided the international anti-terror coalition with an air base near the international airport in its capital in late 2001, while the Kant air force base near Bishkek set up by Russia in October 2003 is to maintain security interests of the Collective Security Treaty Organization members in Central Asia.

The task of the military forces deployed in Kyrgyzstan by the US-led international anti-terror coalition and the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization is to deal with global threats and challenges instead of provoking antagonism, the statement said.

Source: Xinhua