http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/1010/42/379077.htm
Medvedev Says Russia's Allies Should Aid U.S.
26 June 2009ReutersWINDHOEK, Namibia -- Russia wants its Central Asian allies
to cooperate with Washington on Afghanistan and is ready to work with the
United States on a new nuclear arms cut pact, President Dmitry Medvedev said
Thursday.
Mikhail Klimentyev / RIA-Novosti
President Dmitry Medvedev and Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba,
second left, watching a dancer during a welcome ceremony in Windhoek on
Thursday. During the visit, Gazprombank agreed to finance a power plant, and
Russian fishermen won access to Nami
Afghanistan and a replacement for the expiring 1991 START I pact will be at the
center of talks between Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama in Moscow next
month.
Russia has pledged to let the transit of vital nonlethal goods for U.S.-led
forces in Afghanistan through its territory. But in February, it sent a
confusing signal by encouraging Kyrgyzstan to shut the U.S. Manas air base.
Earlier this week, Kyrgyzstan allowed the United States to continue at Manas.
Medvedev said he saw nothing wrong in the decision.
"We are helping them [Americans] ... and Kyrgyzstan is ready to help," Medvedev
told reporters in the Namibian capital, Windhoek. "They are welcome."
Medvedev said he had discussed allowing the U.S. military base to remain at
Manas with Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Bakiyev ordered Manas shut after
securing $2 billion in aid from Russia, though Moscow denies any role in his
decision.
Medvedev said Russia was happy with the terms of the new deal, under which
Washington agreed to pay $180 million for the use of Manas to refuel U.S.
aircraft bound for Afghanistan.
"[The deal] envisages that the military base ceases to exist, while new transit
activities will be run on a different basis without any immunity for the U.S.
military, without much U.S. military personnel," he said.
In Bishkek, Kyrgyz lawmakers unanimously backed the deal Thursday.
Medvedev denied suggestions that Washington and Moscow were at loggerheads over
a new nuclear arms deal to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which
expires on Dec. 5.
"So far, no one closed doors," Medvedev said. "We continue talking about this
with our U.S. partners ahead of the visit by my colleague Barack Obama,
including on linking anti-missile defense and limiting strategic weapons."
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