*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) ALMATY, Kazakhstan - August 4, 2009: Uzbekistan has sharply criticized Russia's plan to boost its military presence in neighboring Kyrgyzstan, signaling a growing rift within a Moscow-dominated security alliance of ex-Soviet nations. 
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, and his Kyrgyz counterpart Kurmanbek Bakiyev, sign the copies of a joint memorandum on Russia's troops deployment in Kyrgyzstan during their meeting the resort town of Cholpon-Ata on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009. Russia clinched a tentative deal Saturday allowing it to establish a second military base in Kyrgyzstan, where the United States also has an important air base. Under the terms of a joint memorandum, Russia could significantly boost the number of troops it has deployed in the Central Asian nation for a period of up to 49 years.
The Uzbek Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Monday that an increase in Russian troop numbers across its border could foment instability across Central Asia, a vast region located north of war-torn Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan, which views itself as Central Asia's main military power broker, has traditionally been wary of Russia's efforts to dominate security in the region.
Russia clinched a tentative agreement Saturday allowing it to open a second base and significantly boost the number of troops it has deployed in Kyrgyzstan, where the United States also has an important air base helping support operations in nearby Afghanistan.
No specifics on the location of the base or the size of the deployment have been given, but it is expected that most of the troops will be stationed in Kyrgyzstan's south. That is on the fringe of the Ferghana Valley region that spreads across Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and served as an incubator of Muslim militancy over the past decade.
The Uzbek Foreign Ministry said the deployment of Russian troops in the area "may lead to the strengthening of militarization and provoke various kinds of nationalist struggles."
"It could also cause the appearance of radical extremist forces, which could lead to serious destabilization across this vast region," it said.
All three countries in the region have seen a reported resurgence in militant activity in recent months.
Uzbekistan has also resisted Russian efforts to form a NATO-style rapid-reaction force under the auspices of the Collective Security Treaty Organization — which also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, and his Kyrgyz counterpart Kurmanbek Bakiyev, sign the copies of a joint memorandum on Russia's troops deployment in Kyrgyzstan during their meeting the resort town of Cholpon-Ata on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009. Russia clinched a tentative deal Saturday allowing it to establish a second military base in Kyrgyzstan, where the United States also has an important air base. Under the terms of a joint memorandum, Russia could significantly boost the number of troops it has deployed in the Central Asian nation for a period of up to 49 years.
The Uzbek Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Monday that an increase in Russian troop numbers across its border could foment instability across Central Asia, a vast region located north of war-torn Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan, which views itself as Central Asia's main military power broker, has traditionally been wary of Russia's efforts to dominate security in the region.
Russia clinched a tentative agreement Saturday allowing it to open a second base and significantly boost the number of troops it has deployed in Kyrgyzstan, where the United States also has an important air base helping support operations in nearby Afghanistan.
No specifics on the location of the base or the size of the deployment have been given, but it is expected that most of the troops will be stationed in Kyrgyzstan's south. That is on the fringe of the Ferghana Valley region that spreads across Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and served as an incubator of Muslim militancy over the past decade.
The Uzbek Foreign Ministry said the deployment of Russian troops in the area "may lead to the strengthening of militarization and provoke various kinds of nationalist struggles."
"It could also cause the appearance of radical extremist forces, which could lead to serious destabilization across this vast region," it said.
All three countries in the region have seen a reported resurgence in militant activity in recent months.
Uzbekistan has also resisted Russian efforts to form a NATO-style rapid-reaction force under the auspices of the Collective Security Treaty Organization — which also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
No comments:
Post a Comment