Russia may send troops to Kyrgyzstan
WASHINGTON | June 03, 2005 5:11:21 AM IST
Russia is considering the option of increasing its military presence in Kyrgyzstan, it was reported Thursday.
The Kremlin is considering the move in response to the Kyrgyzstan revolution in March and the recent unrest in Uzbekistan, the Eurasia Daily Monitor of the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation reported.
Senior officials with strong influence within the Kremlin have alluded to the town of Osh as the location of a future Russian base, reflecting Russian concerns about the instability of the Fergana Valley, Eurasia Daily Monitor said.
Other Russian officials have strenuously denied that such an agreement has yet been reached. Russia could, however, send as many as 1,000 troops to serve in Osh under the auspices of the Collective Security Treaty Organization or the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Monitor said.
Reports suggest that Acting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev is open to the idea of an additional ...
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