Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 31 / Trend E. Kosolapova/
In case of Almazbek Atambayev's presidency in Kyrgyzstan, the country will pursue pro-Russian policy, U.S. Expert on Central Asia Bruce Pannier told Trend by phone on Monday.
"Atambayev's pro-Russian orientation is not a secret," Pannier said.
Acting Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambaev won the presidential elections on Oct. 30, gaining more than 50 percent of votes of citizens who came to the polls, after 79.77 percent of ballots were counted, according to the data on the Central Election Committee's website.
"U.S.-led Manas Transit Centre will probably remain in the country until the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2014," Pannier added. "However its status can be changed".
Transit Center at Manas is NATO installation at Manas International Airport, near Bishkek primarily operated by the U.S. Air Force. The base was opened in December 2001 to support U.S. military operations in the ongoing war in Afghanistan. It has hosted forces from several other International Security Assistance Force member states as well. The base is a transit point for US military personnel coming and going from Afghanistan.
According to Pannier, Kyrgyzstan will keep engaged with U.S. because they help in the region. Kyrgyzstan can be affected as it happened in 1999-2000 by the militants of Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. So it needs U.S. support in the region.
"It is directly important for Kyrgyzstan what is happening in Afghanistan, so it needs some level of cooperation with U.S.," Pannier added.
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