Kyrgyzstan's parliament will vote next week on whether to shut a U.S. air base which is an important staging post for U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan, Kyrgyz officials said on Thursday.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said on Tuesday his impoverished Central Asian state, a former Soviet republic and a traditional Russian ally, would close the base after he secured Russian financial aid at talks in Moscow, reported Reuters.
The government needs parliamentary approval to proceed with the closure but this is seen as a formality as the chamber is controlled by a pro-presidential party.
"We have included this issue in our February agenda," said Avtandil Arabayev, deputy head of the ruling Ak-Zhol party.
"We did consider the possibility of voting on it tomorrow but according to the rules it will be voted on next week."
Kyrgyzstan's move to shut the base sets a tough challenge for new U.S. President Barack Obama, who plans to send additional troops to Afghanistan.
Moscow has said it would be flexible to U.S. requests to allow supplies to be sent across Russia. It gave no details.
The base has been used as a staging post by U.S.-led forces fighting Taliban and al Qaeda militants in Afghanistan and the Kyrgyz move comes as Washington seeks to reinforce supply routes that bypass Pakistan, where convoys face security risks.