Andrey Grozin: Bishkek needs Russian base in Kyrgyzstan more than Moscow

The Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan will remain regardless of the outcome of the presidential election in 2017, Bishkek needs it more than Moscow. This was stated by head of the Department of Central Asia and Kazakhstan of the CIS Institute Andrey Grozin, RIA Novosti reported.

In his opinion, the statements of Almazbek Atambayev, if they were made correctly, will certainly affect relations between the two states.

The fact is, the expert reminded, that it is not just the level of bilateral relations, the military base in Kant, placement of other Russian military facilities - it is impact on the situation in the entire region.

"The base in Kant formally is not Russian, this is the CSTO base. If one raises the question of its withdrawal at the end of the lease term, it is not a question of bilateral relations. Clearly, this will affect not only the structure of CSTO operation. It is clear that the level of threat, which is observed to the south of the post-Soviet Asia, will preserve. And the removal of one of the elements of gradually evolving regional security system, headed by, inter alia, the Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan, essentially devalues security in the region," he said.

"Kyrgyzstan will hold presidential elections in 2017. Who will replace Atambayev is the big question, in which the citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic are interested more than in other issues, even such important as the situation with the future of Russian military facilities. Atambayev himself can't be re-elected. This is connected not only with constitutional prohibitions, but also with the fact that the process of preparing for the next elections in all political fields of Kyrgyzstan has gone so far that simply no one will let him to do this. A new president will form new relations, including issues related to security," Andrey Grozin says.

The expert stressed that there are certain agreements, under which military facilities of Russia and the CSTO are deployed in Kyrgyzstan.

"So they stayed there for a longer period, it is necessary to hold the appropriate contractual and legal registration. If this is not done, the objects must leave. Like the transit center in Bishkek airport has left (American). If this kind of work is being held, then the base will stay there. I think that it will remain, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan, regardless of the political situation in the country. These objects remain simply because the KR needs it much more than Russia. Russia needs them only to maintain stability on its southern borders. And Kyrgyzstan needs them to survive in the possible very serious cataclysms," Andrey Grozin says.

Kyrgyzstan has united Russian military base, consisting of four objects: an airfield of Collective Forces of the CSTO rapid response in Kant town, testing naval base on Issyk-Kul Lake, a communication center in Chaldovar village and autonomous seismic point in Mailu-Suu. 

In 2009, the agreement expiration date on the base was extended by 49 years with the possibility of further automatic extension for 25-year terms.