All news

US to transfer Manas base to Kyrgyz government by July 2014

Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command: we respect the decision the Government of Kyrgyzstan to end our business agreement
Photo ЕРА/IGOR KOVALENKO
Photo ЕРА/IGOR KOVALENKO

WASHINGTON, October 28 (Itar-Tass) - The United States intends to transfer the Manas base to the Kyrgyz government by July next year, General William Fraser, Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command told Itar-Tass in an interview.

According to him, “The Department of Defence has begun the process of transferring missions from the Transit Centre at Manas International Airport and plans to complete the return of area and facilities to the Government of Kyrgyzstan by July 2014.” Fraser said, “We respect the decision the Government of Kyrgyzstan to end our business agreement at Manas after more than 12 years, and appreciate the support that has been provided (by Bishkek) to U.S. forces and coalition efforts. We will continue to work closely with other international partners to ensure support to U.S. and coalition forces (in Afghanistan) is continuous and uninterrupted,” he stated.

The Pentagon has announced earlier this month that the U.S. has begun curtailing its operations at the Manas base. U.S. Department of Defence spokeswoman Lieutenant Catherine Wilkinson told Itar-Tass then that in connection with the U.S. departure from the Manas base, the support of the operation in Afghanistan would now be conducted from the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase near the Romanian city of Constanta, which is located on the coast of the Black Sea.