Kyrgyzstan seeks increase of US base rent
ISN SECURITY WATCH (Thursday, 16 February: 12.46 CET) – Kyrgyzstan is seeking to increase the rent it charges to the US to use a military base on its territory, Russian news agencies reported.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev told the Russian daily Kommersant newspaper that the annual rent for the base at Manas airport just outside the capital, Bishkek, should be increased from US$2 million to US$207 million.
“We are not such a rich country as to offer facilities for free,” the daily quoted Bakiev as saying.
Bakiev said the rent increase was in accordance with international standards in terms of the cost of leasing territory at an international airport. He said the US could continue to use the base at the new price until the situation in neighboring Afghanistan had stabilized.
The Kyrgyz president said the US had not yet responded to the offer.
The US has used the air base to support combat operations in Afghanistan since December 2001.
The use of the Kyrgyz base has become more significant since neighboring Uzbekistan evicted the US military from a base on its territory last year, after Washington criticized Uzbek officials for their brutal handling of a rebellion in Andijan.
Kyrgyzstan has been more forthcoming, but has taken advantage of the US military’s use of the base on its territory, asking for US support when they ousted former president Askar Akaev in a popular uprising last March.
Bakiev said they would not be charging Russia rent for use of a military base on Kyrgyz territory, saying it was part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization agreement between the two countries.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev told the Russian daily Kommersant newspaper that the annual rent for the base at Manas airport just outside the capital, Bishkek, should be increased from US$2 million to US$207 million.
“We are not such a rich country as to offer facilities for free,” the daily quoted Bakiev as saying.
Bakiev said the rent increase was in accordance with international standards in terms of the cost of leasing territory at an international airport. He said the US could continue to use the base at the new price until the situation in neighboring Afghanistan had stabilized.
The Kyrgyz president said the US had not yet responded to the offer.
The US has used the air base to support combat operations in Afghanistan since December 2001.
The use of the Kyrgyz base has become more significant since neighboring Uzbekistan evicted the US military from a base on its territory last year, after Washington criticized Uzbek officials for their brutal handling of a rebellion in Andijan.
Kyrgyzstan has been more forthcoming, but has taken advantage of the US military’s use of the base on its territory, asking for US support when they ousted former president Askar Akaev in a popular uprising last March.
Bakiev said they would not be charging Russia rent for use of a military base on Kyrgyz territory, saying it was part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization agreement between the two countries.
posted by Marko at 2/15/2006 11:06:00 PM
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