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10-23-2003, 03:06 AM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3206385.stm
Russian President Vladimir Putin is to open Russia's first new foreign military base since the collapse of the Soviet Union on Thursday.
The Russian base will be 30km from a US camp
The move marks a change in policy after a decade of military cutbacks.
The base, in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, is just 30 kilometres (19 miles) from an airfield that United States aircraft have been using since December 2001.
On a dry, dusty plain here in the very heart of Central Asia, Russian fighter jets and helicopters are lined up ready for President Putin to declare Russia's newest air base open.
The snowcapped Tienshan mountains rise to the south; beyond them is China.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are a short flight away.
Russia has chosen this highly strategic location for its first new foreign military base, reversing a decade of closures in places like Cuba and Vietnam.
Side by side
Kyrgyzstan was the frontier of the Soviet Union and many are welcoming the Russians back.
Russia says it wants to preserve stability in the region against threats like extremist Islamic groups.
But many believe it also wants to counter the growing influence of the United States.
Less than five minutes flying time from the Russian base is Manas airfield, which American aircraft have been using to support operations in Afghanistan since shortly after the 11 September, 2001, attacks.
So in Central Asia, Russia and America will have bases almost side-by-side, but the Russian Defence Ministry has insisted that the US should only stay in the area until the situation in Afghanistan stabilises.
The Americans say they have had no direct talks with the Russians about their new base and will leave issues like air traffic control up to the Kyrgyz authorities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is to open Russia's first new foreign military base since the collapse of the Soviet Union on Thursday.
The Russian base will be 30km from a US camp
The move marks a change in policy after a decade of military cutbacks.
The base, in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, is just 30 kilometres (19 miles) from an airfield that United States aircraft have been using since December 2001.
On a dry, dusty plain here in the very heart of Central Asia, Russian fighter jets and helicopters are lined up ready for President Putin to declare Russia's newest air base open.
The snowcapped Tienshan mountains rise to the south; beyond them is China.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are a short flight away.
Russia has chosen this highly strategic location for its first new foreign military base, reversing a decade of closures in places like Cuba and Vietnam.
Side by side
Kyrgyzstan was the frontier of the Soviet Union and many are welcoming the Russians back.
Russia says it wants to preserve stability in the region against threats like extremist Islamic groups.
But many believe it also wants to counter the growing influence of the United States.
Less than five minutes flying time from the Russian base is Manas airfield, which American aircraft have been using to support operations in Afghanistan since shortly after the 11 September, 2001, attacks.
So in Central Asia, Russia and America will have bases almost side-by-side, but the Russian Defence Ministry has insisted that the US should only stay in the area until the situation in Afghanistan stabilises.
The Americans say they have had no direct talks with the Russians about their new base and will leave issues like air traffic control up to the Kyrgyz authorities.