“Rapid response” military base in Kyrgyzstan may be set up within days
Published: 29 July, 2009, 18:50
Edited: 14 June, 2010, 00:48
TAGS: Military, Russia, Politics, Central Asia
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a group of seven countries from the post-Soviet Union, including Russia, could soon establish a new military base in the south of Kyrgyzstan.
According to Russian presidential aide Sergey Prikhodko, the base is to be discussed at the CSTO informal summit in the Kyrgyz town of Cholpon-Ata scheduled for July 31-August 1, and an agreement could be signed in the near future.
“In essence, this is not a Russian base. These are efforts in line with CSTO plans to set up a joint rapid reaction force,” Prikhodko said.
The decision to set up a collective rapid reaction force to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the CSTO member states, and to provide security and respond to crisis situations, was made at the CSTO summit on February 4, 2009 in Moscow.
It is expected that units from all CSTO member states – Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – will be assigned to the new base.
“Why was southern Kyrgyzstan chosen as a new base location? This area is the scene of a lot of problems for Central Asia and the Fergana Valley is the pressure point for the region. If Russia and its allies have troops there – they will deal with the situation,” notes political analyst Vladimir Evseev from the Institute of World Economy and International Relations.
Meanwhile, Russia already operates an airbase in the city of Kant, some 20 kilometers from the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.
As for the American military base at the Kyrgyz airport, Manas, which will be transformed into a transit station for troops and supplies to Afghanistan, Prikhodko said “if the operation of the center is carried out in line with its stated mandate, we will have no formal cause for concern.”
He added, though, that if the mandate is violated, Kyrgyzstan will have to provide explanations to other CSTO members.
The US Air Base in Manas was opened in 2001 and has proven to be key to military operations in Afghanistan.
However, several incidents involving personnel from the base, including the shooting of a local resident, have led to strained relations with residents and authorities.
In February the Kyrgyz Parliament voted to close the base, however it later reversed its decision.
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Well said Cash...It is after long time a true commonwealth force for every each of states. Base will be form with mix trups close to Fergana Valei to stop spreading haos on their soil from Afganistan and Pakistan. A hiden target of Usa (fake) wars are those countris from CSTO, plus rise of Russia,China and India and theirs close partnership.Why? On that place is centre of the world and once those countris have a united front game will be over. Shift of power to the East can slowdown but it will happend in the future. From that point it will spread all over the world, again to say for a common good of the world....
Good. Now maybe Europe can start taking care of its own problems. Perhaps when North Korea has a massive nuclear accident Russia and China can go in, feed the starving people and clean up the mess before it drifts to Moscow. Afterall, what is the use of setting all that up but have no misison and reason for actually building a rapid response base? Otherwise Russia will fall into the same problem they did during Soviet times and the USA is still doing, that is being invited to build a huge base then having it used as a bargining chip to suck massive amounts of aid we cant afford. Aid that is better spent on our roads, schools and food production.
the sooner, the better! CSTO can provide the security and stability in the region. I want to emphisize: only the CSTO and not the Russia alone !! Staying together is the only answer! Russia shall not involve itself on her own into that conflict,whatever considerations! "Eurasia Daily Monitor" publisized 11.03.2010 paper about how USA shall "help" Kyrgystan in it's upcoming conflict with the Uzbekistan. I feel that the latest escalation of violence has being very well "forseen" in Jamestown university in Washington.