The Russian government has approved a protocol on changes to agreement on status and terms of Russian air base's presence in Kyrgyzstan which extends term of base's deployment up to 49 years, RIA Novosti reported.
The protocol coordinated with the Russian Foreign Ministry and originally designed by Kyrgyzstan will change the current 15-year agreement with automatic extension for the coming five years.
Under the changes, the second paragraph of Article 33 of the agreement is proposed to be amended to read as follows: "This agreement is valid for 49 years and is automatically extended for subsequent 25-year periods if neither party notify the other party of its intention to terminate it through diplomatic channels to in a written form not less than six months before the expiration of the next period."
The government will make a proposal to Russian president to signing the protocol, the Russian Cabinet of Ministers said.
The Russia-Kyrgyzstan agreement on "Status and Terms of Presence of Russian Air Base in Kyrgyzstan" was signed in Moscow on Sept. 22, 2003. Official opening of the base, which is located in the town of Kant (20 kilometers from the Kyrgyz capital), took place in late October of that year.
Su-25 aircrafts and MI-8 helicopters are deployed at the base. Total of 250 Russian officers and warrant officers and 150 soldiers are serving in Kant.
In the event of conflict or non-standard situations and in terms of anti-terrorism activities, the base becomes part of the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces under the plan of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
In addition to the Russian base, there is also U.S. airbase in Manas airport in Kyrgyzstan opened in December 2001 on the mandate of the UN to carry out combat operations and humanitarian assistance as a part of the United States anti-terrorist operation "Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan. However, in early April 2009 Bishkek completed the process of terminating the contract with Washington to deploy troops of the U.S. and 11 countries of the antiterrorist coalition in the territory of Kyrgyzstan. According to this document, foreign troops will completely withdraw from Kyrgyzstan within 180 days after the denunciation of the agreement in mid-August.