PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, July 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia did not put any pressure on Central Asian governments over the length of time U.S. bases were allowed to remain on their territory, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said.
"We did not put any pressure on CIS member countries in Central Asia over this issue, and the signing of a declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on July 5 in Astana by their governments was their decision alone," Ivanov said to journalists upon arriving in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
"Russia now has few external political partners, and this is good, since world history clearly shows that when there are a lot of partners, the majority of them become de facto satellite states."
Speaking on the Afghanistan situation (the presence of U.S. military bases in Central Asia which is justified by the need to end militant activity in the country), Ivanov said there is currently no militant activity in Afghanistan, and there is not likely to be.
He also said Afghanistan's national army is still fairly weak, and the presence of an international peace-keeping contingent in the country is very limited.
"On the one hand, the level of militant action in Afghanistan is low, and on the other hand, it must be admitted that most of the territory is controlled by Taliban fighters. In the northern and eastern parts of the country, other states are actively interfering," Ivanov said.
Ivanov reiterated that there is still a strong threat of terrorism from Afghanistan.
"In a number of regions, Taliban fighters are not even in hiding, as they don't need to be. No one is perusing them," he said.
At the last SCO summit in Astana (Kazakhstan), member-countries, including Kyrgyzstan, raised the issue of setting time limits for the presence of U.S. military bases in Central Asia "due to the changed situation in Afghanistan."
This idea did not move further than a declaration. On U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's recent visit to Kyrgyzstan, he said the U.S. military presence would remain unchanged for the time being. The U.S. base with 1,000 troops at the Manas international airport in Kyrgyzstan's capital will remain as long as Washington sees fit. The U.S. will continue to pay Kyrgyzstan $15 million in rent annually.
