Latest Articles about Kyrgyzstan
KYRGYZ DEFENSE MINISTER CALLS FOR MORE FOREIGN AID
Kyrgyz Defense Minister Ismail Isakov has called for an increase in the levels of foreign assistance to help the beleaguered Kyrgyz armed forces. These appeals are rooted in his conviction that the Kyrgyz economy cannot afford the type of armed forces and security structures necessary... MORE
CRITICISM, SUSPICIONS MOUNT REGARDING CLOSED TALKS ON MANAS
Talks aimed at settling the dispute over the future of the Manas coalition base in Bishkek ended without agreement, despite intense negotiations May 31-June 1. The U.S. delegation, headed by Robert Loftis, met with senior officials from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense and Ministry of... MORE
BISHKEK BECOMES SCENE OF CONTINUOUS ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATIONS
For more than a year the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, has witnessed numerous demonstrations and protests. According to estimates from the Ministry of the Interior, on average there have been two different protests each day in various parts of the country since the beginning of 2006.... MORE
KYRGYZSTAN RELENTING ON U.S. AIR BASE
On May 31-June 2 in Bishkek, American and Kyrgyz negotiators made some progress toward a possible agreement to prolong the use of the Manas air base by U.S. and allied forces. Kyrgyzstan no longer seeks a “hundredfold” increase in U.S. annual rent payments, as President... MORE
CHAOS IN THE KYRGYZ SECURITY STRUCTURES
Kyrgyz Armed Forces Day, scheduled for May 27, normally passes with a routine military parade. However, in the current tense political climate in Kyrgyzstan, routine has given way to suspicion and rumor. Opposition groups ignited controversy surrounding the parade, notably the "For Reforms" movement, by... MORE
RUSSIAN INFLUENCE ON THE UPSWING IN KYRGYZSTAN
On May 19, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev told a visiting group of international journalists that Kyrgyz authorities would go ahead with the plan to ask the United States to vacate the Manas air base by June 1 unless Washington agrees to a massive increase in rent... MORE
KYRGYZSTAN FIGHTS ONE-DAY WAR WITH UNKNOWN BANDITS
Early on the morning of May 12 an armed group of about 10 people attacked a Tajik border checkpoint in Isfara oblast. They seized weapons and killed three Tajik guards. A few hours later the group moved into Kyrgyzstan through Batken oblast and headed toward... MORE
RUSSIA PLANS EXPANSION OF ITS MILITARY PRESENCE IN KYRGYZSTAN
The Russian military is set to expand its military presence in Kyrgyzstan later this year by increasing the number of Russian personnel at its airbase in Kant, near Bishkek. According to Colonel-General Vladimir Mikhailov, commander of the Russian air force, by the end of 2006... MORE
BISHKEK WELCOMES EXPANDED RUSSIAN MILITARY PRESENCE IN KYRGYZSTAN
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev met with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his first state visit to Moscow on April 24-25. The meeting began with Bakiyev stating that Kyrgyzstan today needs economic assistance, which Russia is able to provide. Putin welcomed the idea of intensifying bilateral... MORE
KYRGYZ PRESIDENT WARNS OF DEADLINE ON AMERICAN AIR BASE
On April 19, five days before his scheduled visit to Russia, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev threatened on national television to close the U.S.-led Manas air base by June 1, unless the United States agrees by that date to sign a new agreement on terms demanded... MORE