Kyrgyzstan: Medvedev denies Russia behind closure of U.S. base

China View reports Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said here Monday that his country was not responsible for the closure of the Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan, the only U.S. facility in central Asia and a key logistic center for American-led operations in Afghanistan.

In an interview with Spanish state television station TVE, Medvedev, who is on a two-day state visit to Spain, insisted Russia was not behind the decision of the Kyrgyzstan government.

"The Kyrgyzstan leadership's decision to close the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan was a sovereign one. They gave their reasons for this decision, as far as I understand," explained Medvedev.

"Ultimately...they have made the decision. It should be respected as any decision made by a sovereign state," he said.

Published by Mike Hitchen, Mike Hitchen Consulting
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