The current parameters of the Russian airbase in Kyrgyzstan are sufficient to counter existing threats facing the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and no expansion is required, Russian Ambassador to Bishkek Sergei Vakunov said.
«According to relevant specialists, the current operating parameters of the airbase are sufficient to repel existing security threats to the member states of the organization from the southern flank,» he noted.
According to the diplomat, Russian servicemen stationed in the Kyrgyz Republic are successfully carrying out their assigned tasks: assisting Kyrgyz security agencies in combating extremism, terrorism, drug trafficking, and organized crime, and practicing coordination with units from other CSTO member states in joint operations. In particular, they took an active part in the preparation and conduct of Rubezh-2025 command-and-staff exercises in Issyk-Kul region in September last year.
«At the same time, the Russian Federation will continue to pay close attention to equipping the facility with the most advanced types of weapons, modern hardware, and equipment,» Sergei Vakunov added.
He recalled that the united Russian airbase in Kant and Karakol, established in response to a request from the country’s leadership during a difficult period — after attacks by international terrorists from the territory of Afghanistan — has for more than 20 years continued to play a key role in ensuring the country’s security and providing air support to the rapid deployment forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the region.
