Russia, Kyrgyzstan seal military base agreement

Russia will maintain a joint military base in Kyrgyzstan for 15 years starting 2017, reads an agreement signed in the presence of the two countries’ leaders during a summit in Bishkek.

The freshly-signed agreement details the status and conditions of the military base’s stay and includes a protocol on military cooperation over the period before the base is opened. The agreement also regulates the rental price.

President Vladimir Putin told the press after the talks with Kyrgyz leader Almazbek Atambayev that the joint Russian-Kyrgyz military base would be a significant factor adding to the stability in the country and the whole region.

Putin stressed that the initiative to create the base came from the Kyrgyz side. He said that those who intend to rock the region’s stability must realize that there are forces that can be used in the fight against extremism, drug trafficking and terrorism.

The president also told reporters that in his view the situation in the neighboring Afghanistan will not change for the better in the nearest future, but Russian military presence in the region, both in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, is a serious factor of stability.

Source and full story: Russia Today, 20 Sept 2012