VIDEO: Kyrgyz Parliament To Vote On US Base

The Central Asian state is a former Soviet republic and a traditional Russian ally.

Kyrgyzstan's parliament will vote next week on whether to shut a U.S. air base which is an important staging post for U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan, Kyrgyz officials said on Thursday.

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said on Tuesday his impoverished Central Asian state, a former Soviet republic and a traditional Russian ally, would close the base after he secured Russian financial aid at talks in Moscow.

The government needs parliamentary approval to proceed with the closure but this is seen as a formality as the chamber is controlled by a pro-presidential party. Only a simple majority of votes is needed.

"We have included this issue in our February agenda," said Avtandil Arabayev, deputy head of the ruling Ak-Zhol party.

"We did consider the possibility of voting on it tomorrow but according to the rules it will be voted on next week."

Kyrgyzstan's move to shut the base sets a tough challenge for new U.S. President Barack Obama, who plans to send additional troops to Afghanistan.

Moscow has said it would be flexible to U.S. requests to allow supplies to be sent across Russia. It gave no details.

The base has been used as a staging post by U.S.-led forces fighting Taliban and al Qaeda militants in Afghanistan and the Kyrgyz move comes as Washington seeks to reinforce supply routes that bypass Pakistan, where convoys face security risks.

OFFICIAL ORDER

Once it has received parliamentary approval, the government would have to send Washington an official note ordering it to shut the base. After that the U.S. military would be given 180 days to close operations and leave the country.

The United States says it has not received any formal communication about closing the base, home to more than 1,000 U.S. military personnel.

"We're having discussions with the Kyrgyz about this and we'll continue to do so," U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said on Wednesday, adding that the United States was also engaging Russia over the issue.

Russia, which operates a rival military base in Kyrgyzstan, has long been anxious about the presence of U.S. forces in Central Asia which it considers to be part of its strategic sphere of interest.

Closing Washington's only military outpost in Central Asia would pose a challenge for U.S. supply lines in the region, particularly after militants severed the main route into Afghanistan by blowing up a bridge in Pakistan this week.

NATO said it would be "of concern" if Russia was found to have had a role in Kyrgyzstan's decision to close the base.

Russia has denied any connection between the $2 billion package it has pledged to Kyrgyzstan to combat an economic crisis and Bishkek's decision.

Take a look at the VIDEO: U.S. Kyrgyz air base in the balance