Russia will “expand” its military facilities in Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian country allied with Moscow, the Kremlin announced Monday after a meeting between the two countries’ presidents, Vladimir Putin and Sadyr Japarov, in the Russian capital.
“Heads of state emphasize the importance of strengthening the armed forces of Kyrgyzstan and developing Russian military installations on its territory,” the Kremlin said in a joint statement.
Russia has a military base in Kyrgyzstan consisting of an airfield, a naval station at Lake Issyk-Kul and several other locations.
Sadyr Japarov was received by Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, on the eve of the May 9 grand military parade commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany, at which the Kyrgyz President will be one of the few foreign leaders to be present.
Russia and Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, are linked by a Moscow-led military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
According to the joint statement released on Monday, the two countries also intend to “deepen military and technical cooperation,” economic and cultural ties to “achieve a new level of integration.”
This military reinforcement of Russia will come in the context of an offensive in Ukraine and serious tensions with the West, which has imposed several waves of sanctions on Moscow.