U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says the decision to close Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan is not a closed issue.
Gate's statement came after Bishkek decided that American troops will leave air base, which is key for the U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan, Associated Press reported.
This move complicates U.S. plans to step up troops in Afghanistan.
Kyrgyzstan's president signed a bill Friday to close the base, the final step before authorities issue a 180-day eviction order.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced the closure earlier this month, complaining the United States was not paying enough rent for the base. His announcement came shortly after he secured $2.15 billion in aid and loans from Russia for his impoverished Central Asian nation. U.S. officials suspect that Russia, long wary of a U.S. presence in ex-Soviet Central Asia, is behind the decision to shut the Americans out of Kyrgyzstan.