MOSCOW: The Russian government has approved the 49-year term of its lease of an airbase in Kyrgyzstan, with an automatic prolongation every 25 years.
The modified agreement, which was agreed on between the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Kyrgyz authorities, will replace the existing deal, which specifies a 15-year lease with an automatic extension every 5 years.
The document will soon be forwarded to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for signing.
Russia established in October 2003 its airbase in Kant, about 20 miles west of the Kyrgyz capital. The Russian base currently deploys about 400 troops, as well as 20 combat and transport planes, helicopters, and L-39 trainers.
Russian troops are stationed at Kant under an agreement in the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) – a regional security bloc in Central Asia, which also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The Kant base is intended to provide air cover for possible operations by CSTO joint forces in Central Asia.
Russia annually pays some $4.5 million to Kyrgyzstan for the lease of military facilities and also provides Bishkek with military and technical equipment as part of the lease agreements.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed a decree in February to close down the U.S. Ganci airbase at Manas airport located 30 kilometers (17 miles) east of the capital, Bishkek.
Kyrgyzstan officially notified Washington of the termination of the agreement on a U.S. military presence at the base, and gave it 180 days to withdraw some 1,200 personnel, aircraft and other equipment.
In April, Bakiyev signed a law ending the deployment of foreign military contingents from Australia, Denmark, Italy, Spain, South Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Turkey and France, at Manas.
