BISHKEK, July 7 (RIA Novosti) - Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed on Tuesday a law allowing the U.S. to continue using its Manas airbase for the transit of troops and supplies to Afghanistan.
In February, the ex-Soviet Central Asian state ordered the shutdown of the base, which has been used to support U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan since 2001. The decision was widely seen as being influenced by Russia, which had just granted Kyrgyzstan a large financial aid package.
However, Kyrgyzstan and the U.S. signed on June 22 an agreement to establish a transit center at Manas international airport "to address the situation in and around Afghanistan, which is beginning to present a real threat to Central Asia, and Kyrgyzstan in particular." Rental charges for the base have more than tripled under the new deal.
The Kyrgyz parliament approved the deal on June 24.
The new agreement envisions annual U.S. payments of $60 million to the Kyrgyz budget for the use of the center. Washington will also allocate $36.6 million for the construction of additional aircraft parking and storage facilities, and $30 million for new navigation and traffic control equipment at Manas airport.
The two countries also agreed to take joint measures to secure the airport perimeter, including establishing checkpoints.
The U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has about 62,000 troops in Afghanistan under a UN mandate to give security support to the Afghan government and stop the flow of drugs from the country.
