Kyrgyzstan's ambassador to Washington said Thursday her government's decision to order the United States to vacate a key air base was influenced by Russian economic aid as her government struggled with high debt.
Zamira Sydykova also said that the United States has not responded to Kygyzstan's offer to negotiate a new deal for U.S. military operations in the Central Asian country.
Last month, Kyrgyzstan ordered the United States to vacate the Manas air base within six months. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced the closure shortly after Russia pledged $2.15 billion in aid and loans for impoverished former Soviet nation.
But Russian and Kyrgyz officials have previously denied a connection between the aid and the move to expel the U.S. military from the air base, an important asset for U.S. operations in Afghanistan.
In response to a question at a speaking event, Sydykova said the Russian aid had played a role in her government's decision on the base. She said that Russia was playing a bigger role in Kyrgyzstan's economic development and the two countries were making more "mutual decisions."
The base is a transit point for 15,000 troops and 500 tons of cargo each month to and from Afghanistan. Bakiyev had complained that the United States ignored repeated demands for an increase on the $17.4 million paid in annual rent for the base. The move to revoke the basing agreement with the United States was later overwhelmingly backed by parliament and signed into law.
Losing Manas poses a serious challenge to President Barack Obama's plan to send up to 30,000 more American forces into Afghanistan this year to fight surging Taliban and al-Qaida violence.
The State Department said the United States is continuing discussions with Kyrgyzstan about the base decision.
