Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev has reminded Robert Blake, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Middle Asia, that US troops must leave the Manas Airport in Bishkek by the end of summer 2014, RIA Novosti reports.
The sides had closed-door negotiations in Bishkek today.
The Manas Airport has a US military base for transit. It was formed in December 2001 to transport troops and supplies to Afghanistan. The transit center has about 1,500 servicemen and staff participating in the Enduring Freedom mission in Afghanistan. The deal expires in autumn 2014. Atambayev does not want to prolong the deal.
Atambayev and Blake discussed trade-economic cooperation, positive investment climate, combating terrorism and extremism, need for expanding trade-economic cooperation with the US.
