Russia vows to consider Uzbekistan's concerns over military base

MOSCOW, August 6 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Kyrgyzstan will seek to address Uzbekistan's concerns over plans to deploy a new Russian military base in southern Kyrgyzstan, the head of a post-Soviet regional security bloc said on Thursday.

Russia has offered to deploy a battalion-sized unit as part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) rapid reaction force in Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken region. Uzbekistan has protested the plans for a base close to its border, saying it could lead to an increase in militarization and destabilize the region.

CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha said Uzbekistan's opinion "will be considered," adding that bilateral consultations could be held.

"I believe that Russia and Kyrgyzstan will work to assuage Uzbek concerns," he said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday the planned deployment of a new Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan was a defensive measure that would not pose a threat to any countries.

It said a training center at the base could be used by collective rapid reaction forces.

The Kyrgyz ambassador to Moscow said on Wednesday that Kyrgyzstan favored the option closer to its border with Uzbekistan.

However, Raimkul Attakurov said other members of the post-Soviet CSTO should have a say on where the base is to be placed.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Kyrgyz counterpart, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, signed on Saturday a memorandum on Russia's military presence in Kyrgyzstan, which allows for an additional Russian battalion and a training center for both countries' service personnel to be located in the country.

Kyrgyzstan already hosts a Russian airbase in Kant and four other Russian military facilities. The airbase in Kant, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside the capital, Bishkek, was opened in 2003. Some 250 Russian officers and 150 enlisted personnel from Russia's 5th Air Army are deployed at the base, as well as Su-25 Frogfoot strike aircraft and Mi-8 transport helicopters.

The CSTO comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.