US's Loss of Kyrgyzstan Means Losing Its Foot hold in Central Asia: On Thursday, the US-Kyrgyz cooperation agreement on aid lost its legal force, following a decision made last month by a Kyrgyz government irritated over Washington's continued interference in its internal affairs. In an article for RIA Novosti, journalist Vladimir Ardaev explained why losing Bishek is an important blow to US plans for Central Asia.
The treaty on "Cooperation to Facilitate the provision of Assistance," signed in 1993, was officially aimed at "facilitating the provision of humanitarian, economic and technical assistance" to the people of Kyrgyzstan. The agreement provided for US aid to the country to be brought into and out of the country without the levying of taxes and customs duties. Moreover, US aid workers and military personnel were granted near-diplomatic status.
Last summer, the US military air base in Manas, outside Bishkek, long serving as a key logistics hub for the transport of goods and forces to the NATO coalition in Afghanistan, was closed.
