Support The Moscow Times!

Kyrgyzstan Plans to Evict U.S. Air Base

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan -- Kyrgyzstan plans to shut a U.S. military air base, a source close to President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's administration said Tuesday.

Washington established the air base in Kyrgyzstan in 2001 to support operations in its war in nearby Afghanistan. Russian media said this week that Bakiyev would announce the closure before his visit to Moscow later this month.

Bakiyev's administration, the Kyrgyz government and the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan have declined to comment on the reports.

Bakiyev plans to meet President Dmitry Medvedev, but the exact date of his visit has not yet been set.

Russia, which also has a military air base in the former Soviet republic, has expressed its unease over the U.S. presence in what it sees as its area of strategic interest.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more