Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 2 /Trend, A.Badalova/
The statement of Kyrgyz Acting Prime Minister about the intention to withdraw the U.S. forces from Manas airport should be regarded as populist, a Russian expert on Central Asian region Alexander Knyazev believes.
"We should wait and see how the statement will be realized," Knyazev told Trend on Wednesday.
According to Knyazev, it will be hastily to draw quick conclusions: many events can occur until 2014.
"I don't exclude that the U.S. can withdraw its forces from Afghanistan by that time," Knyazev said. "In that case the issue will appear in an entirely different plane."
Acting Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev, who gained the majority of votes at the presidential elections on Oct. 30, said that the U.S. transit center at Manas airport should not remain open after 2014. He noted that in accordance with its obligations the United States should withdraw the base in 2014, adding that Kyrgyzstan will fulfill its all obligations under international treaties.
Meanwhile the U.S. stated that they looked forward to consulting with the new Kyrgyz government on what will happen after 2014. "They have made clear to us that they do want to have that conversation, and we look forward to having it," the U.S. Department of State spokesperson Victoria Nuland said.
Knyazev believes Atambayev is under "euphoria of victory" and needs an external support.
"Kyrgyzstan indeed expects support from Russia, who promised to allot loan to help the country to overcome the economic crisis.
Moreover, Kyrgyzstan is the member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) which does not admit military presence of the third parts on the member states' territories, Knyazev said.
The Manas Transit Center, located at the Manas international airport near the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, has been a critically important supply and support hub for the U.S. and NATO war effort in Afghanistan since 2001 and is the only one of its kind in Central Asia.
The Center is a transit point for US military personnel going into and out of Afghanistan, and the staging area for the most of the air operations going into and out of Afghanistan, including in-air aircraft refueling.