Bishkek decides to close Manas U.S. air base
Kyrgyzstan's government has submitted a decree to parliament for the closure of a key U.S. air base in the Central Asian state, Kyrgyz officials say.
The move was prompted by popular disapproval of the base, government spokesman Aibek Sultangaziyev said.
U.S. officials say they have received no notification of the closure, and are talking to the Kyrgyz government.
The air base supports U.S. and Nato operations in Afghanistan and is the only U.S. base in Central Asia. Its closure is reported to be a major blow for those operations.
The announcement comes at a critical moment, just as the new administration of U.S. President Barack Obama plans a sharp increase in the number of American troops in Afghanistan.
"A draft decree on terminating the agreement on the U.S. airbase has been sent to parliament," said Aibek Sultangaziyev. "It is up to parliament now to decide when to hold discussions on this."
President Bakiyev made his announcement on Tuesday in Moscow, where he was promised more than $2bn (£1.4bn) in Russian aid.
He said the Manas base - set up in 2001 to assist the U.S. military operation against al-Qaeda and the Taleban in Afghanistan - was only meant to be open for two years at the most, BBC reports.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the decision as regrettable but said that it won't affect the U.S. military effort in nearby Afghanistan.
The move was prompted by popular disapproval of the base, government spokesman Aibek Sultangaziyev said.
U.S. officials say they have received no notification of the closure, and are talking to the Kyrgyz government.
The air base supports U.S. and Nato operations in Afghanistan and is the only U.S. base in Central Asia. Its closure is reported to be a major blow for those operations.
The announcement comes at a critical moment, just as the new administration of U.S. President Barack Obama plans a sharp increase in the number of American troops in Afghanistan.
"A draft decree on terminating the agreement on the U.S. airbase has been sent to parliament," said Aibek Sultangaziyev. "It is up to parliament now to decide when to hold discussions on this."
President Bakiyev made his announcement on Tuesday in Moscow, where he was promised more than $2bn (£1.4bn) in Russian aid.
He said the Manas base - set up in 2001 to assist the U.S. military operation against al-Qaeda and the Taleban in Afghanistan - was only meant to be open for two years at the most, BBC reports.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the decision as regrettable but said that it won't affect the U.S. military effort in nearby Afghanistan.
