Kazakhstan, Astana, July 20 / Trend , K.Konirova/
Changing the status of the former NATO airbase Manas and turning it into a trans-transit base was the best option in resolving the dispute, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic to Kazakhstan Zhanysh Rustenbekov told Trend .
"A new treaty has been compiled on the Manas military airbase. And the problems that concerned us before have been taken into account in the new agreement with the American side. The Manas NATO airbase is not eliminated, but changed its status. It is now a trans-transit base. I think that this is a correct way out of the current situation. We must also provide support to resolve the situation in Afghanistan. And this military transit base is needed for this purpose," Rustenbekov said.
Under the new agreement, the airbase has undergone a repair and all necessary changes which aimed removing problems and shortages causing people's mass dissatisfaction on the deploying the Manas NATO airbase in Kyrgyzstan, he said.
"There were several reasons causing the closure of the Manas airbase, and President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has repeatedly said in all his statements. First, this is Kyrgyz citizens' safety. You know, there were several our citizens' death cases for which nobody was punished. Secondly, the environmental cause. Complaints were repeatedly received from residents living near the airbase about filling air kerosene and others," the diplomat said.
He said a financial-economic side of the issue was also important.
"Because, the earlier agreement on the Manas airbase was signed during other president's office term and did not meet requirements of time and situation," the ambassador stressed.
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