US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Kyrgyzstan yesterday. The visit took place in the wake of an episode in the Kyrgyz parliament where President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's supporters demanded withdrawal of the US AF base from Manas. Gates succeeded in eliciting guarantees for the base from Bakiyev. Moscow will be upset since it never misses a chance to advise the Kyrgyz president to have the base closed.

Securing the positions of the AF base is what US Defense Secretary Robert Gates was after. Threat to its continued existence became nearly tangible in late May when five committees of the Kyrgyz parliament suggested denunciation of the agreement under whose terms the counter-terrorism coalition fighting in Afghanistan had established its AF base in Kyrgyzstan several years ago. Gates flew to Bishkek from Kabul and got down to business. For starters, he met with his Kyrgyz counterpart Ismail Isakov and announced when the meeting was over that the agreement between the United States and Kyrgyzstan concerning the AF base was identical to the agreements "other countries signed with Kyrgyzstan to establish their military presence here."

Gates then met with President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and showered the latter with praise extolling Kyrgyzstan's contribution to the war on international terrorism. "Kyrgyzstan is playing a major part in the collective effort of more than 40 countries against international terrorism. All these countries recognize the part Kyrgyzstan is playing," Gates announced. The Kyrgyz president and people thus assured of the international community's appreciation, Gates brought up the subject of the AF base. "The United States understands the position of Kyrgyzstan with regard to certain incidents [US Army Sergeant Zachary Hatfield murdered a local driver, one Alexander Ivanov, last December - Kommersant] and will do everything in its power to settle the matter and prevent anything like that from happening again," Gates told the Kyrgyz president. Hatfield's return to Kyrgyzstan for the purposes of an investigation and trial was never even discussed.

Gates and Bakiyev discussed the situation in Afghanistan which both agreed remained problematic. As the meeting behind the closed doors proceeded, Gates elicited from his host reiteration of Kyrgyzstan's continuing support of the activities of the counter-terrorism coalition in Afghanistan.

"Bakiyev emphasized that Kyrgyzstan remains true to its obligations within the framework of the efforts undertaken by the counter-terrorism coalition," presidential press service reported.

Bakiyev's support secured, Gates accomplished his mission and could now leave, knowing that the US AF base was safe.

Meanwhile, this compliance on Bakiyev's part may foment problems in his relations with Moscow. Russia wants Bakiyev to honor declaration of the heads of the Shanghai Organization of Cooperation (July 5, 2005) that compels Kyrgyzstan to officially advise the US Administration to withdraw its military contingent from this Central Asian country. As a matter of fact, the Kremlin expects Bakiyev to make his move and tell Washington to withdraw the military base at the summit of the Shanghai Organization of Cooperation in Bishkek on August 16. The Kyrgyz president promised his colleagues at the previous summit that he would finally commit the Americans to setting the date of the withdrawal. Results of the negotiations with Gates yesterday make it unlikely. Moreover, US State Undersecretary Richard Boucher is about to make an unscheduled visit to Bishkek tomorrow. He will certainly try to develop Gates' success and convince Bakiyev to abstain from attacks on the United States at the forthcoming summit of the Shanghai Organization of Cooperation.

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Kommersant, June 6, 2007, p. 9

Translated by Ferghana.Ru