But the deal approved yesterday by a Kyrgyz parliamentary committee apparently would allow the American base to remain open and continue to be used by US forces to transport weaponry and ammunition. That should provide a much-needed boost as the US-led coalition ramps up its military operations against Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan.
The deal’s biggest change is likely to be the cost - more than three times the current $17.4 million annual rent for the base.
The final details of the deal, however, are likely to remain unclear at least until Friday, when the full Kyrgyz parliament is expected to vote, but a significant departure from the current arrangement was not expected.
Besides its function for troops and armor transit, the Manas base is used to refuel tanker planes that administer air-to-air refueling of allied jets circling Afghan skies - and is also a key medical evacuation point.
US forces have had access to Manas, outside Bishkek, since 2001. The base became even more important to the Afghan war effort after neighboring Uzbekistan evicted US troops from a base there.
Militants have stepped up attacks on the main route for US military supplies to Afghanistan through Pakistan - although the military maintains this has little impact on its operations.
Analysts, meanwhile, say Russia, which grudgingly accepted the agreement, may have approved it in the hope of US concessions on issues that have badly strained its relations with Washington, such as NATO’s possible expansion eastward and a planned US missile defense complex in central Europe.
“Reaching this agreement is, of course, Kyrgyzstan’s sovereign right,’’ said a Russian Foreign Ministry statement released after yesterday’s deal was announced.
President Kurmanbek Bakiyev shocked Washington in February when he announced that US forces would be evicted from Manas, saying Washington was not paying enough, among other concerns.
The announcement followed within hours of Moscow’s pledge of more than $2 billion in aid, loans, and investment for Kyrgyzstan.
Yesterday, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Kadyrbek Sarbayev said his country is concerned about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the possibility that it could destabilize the entire Central Asia region.
That is a reversal of the position in February, when official statements cited improving Afghan security as a reason for closing Manas.
President Obama recently sent a message of thanks to Bakiyev for Kyrgyzstan’s support of US-led military operations in Afghanistan.
