Kyrgyzstan could be Russia's political and military strongpoint in Central Asia, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Askar Aytmatov said Thursday in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital.

Russia is the most reliable friend and a strategic partner of Kyrgyzstan, and it has always been a priority in Kyrgyzstan's foreign policies to develop long-term cooperation with Russia, Aytmatov said at a ceremony marking Air Force Day at Russia's Kantair base near Bishkek.

The foreign minister said Kyrgyzstan and Russia share similar views in international affairs, and both are dedicated to the integration process within the framework of such international forums as the Commonwealth of Independent States, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, according to media reports reaching here from Bishkek.

On security cooperation, Aytmatov said the Kant air base, which the Russians built in Kyrgyzstan in October 2003, is the best proof of the two countries' alliance.

Aytmatov said the Kant base showed the two countries' determination to strengthen cooperation and to face threats side by side within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization that Bishkek views as the basis for security in Central Asia.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization comprises Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. And the Russian air base at Kant is an important component of the organization's rapid response force.

Source: Xinhua