Azerbaijan, Baku, March 7 / Trend V.Zhavoronkova /
NATO Transit Center at the Manas airport is extremely necessary and important for the maintenance of the stabilization process in Afghanistan and the United States is ready to discuss with Kyrgyzstan the question of the future of Air Base, U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Pamela Spratlen said in an interview with the Turkish national channel (TRT), KirTAG reported on Wednesday.
"We can not speculate about the future, but I would like to note that this is a very, very serious issue and we are ready for discussions with our Kyrgyz partners on the future of transit center after the expiration of an existing contract in 2014," said Spratlen.
She said the United States are grateful to Kyrgyzstan for 10 years of cooperation on transit center, as well as reaffirmation of the adherence to the policy of existing agreement on the transit center before it expires in 2014.
The situation in Afghanistan is a huge challenge, but international partners are working every day to help Afghans strengthen their security forces and help the Afghan political elite in the decisions on reconciliation, said the ambassador.
She noted achievement of these goals depends on the Afghans themselves, and since the situation there is unstable, the United States believes that for all partners involved in the matter of establishing security in the region, it is important to be flexible about future steps.
Spratlen noted that the current transit center of Manas is extremely necessary and important, so Washington has always stressed its appreciation to Kyrgyz partners for the opportunity to stay here.
Transit Center is a place through which 100 percent of the military go to Afghanistan and back again through it, she said. It is also very important for air refueling during operations in Afghanistan, held for the protection of space and ensuring that terrorists can not use it as a safe haven.
The ambassador said the transit center at the Manas international airport carries one single mission, and it is to support the stabilization process in Afghanistan and to prevent the emergence of extremist sanctuaries there.
And statements about some other missions, as my colleague from Moscow ambassador McFaul stated, and any other reports on other missions are not true," she said in an interview.
The American air base, which was renamed to the transit center was established at the Manas international airport in Bishkek in December, 2001, and today there are about 1,200 soldiers. The base is important for the NATO operation "Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan. Agreement on the deployment of U.S. air base in Kyrgyzstan is valid until 2014.