The United States has welcomed a proposal on establishing a joint Kyrgyz-Russian venture to supply aviation fuel to the Pentagon's transit center in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz deputy prime minister said on Monday.
Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva proposed the venture, which would involve Russian gas giant Gazprom, during talks with President Barack Obama on her recent visit to the United States.
"If the fuel deliveries are organized through state structures and are transparent, [the venture] will bring up to $60 million per year to the Kyrgyz budget," Satybaldiyev said.
"As far as I could see, the U.S. side reacted positively to the idea," Satybaldiyev added.
The drafting of the agreement on the joint venture is in its final stages, First Deputy Head of the Kyrgyz President's Administration Muktar Djumaliyev said.
One of the conditions of the deal is that Russia must lower customs tariffs on gasoline and oil deliveries to Kyrgyzstan.
The military base on the territory of Bishkek's Manas airport was built in 2001 as a part of U.S.-led international military operations in nearby Afghanistan.
In early 2009, the Kyrgyz government announced that all U.S. troops would have to leave the country, but later agreed to a deal with the Pentagon on improved terms under which the facility was turned into a transit center.
BISHKEK, September 27 (RIA Novosti)
