"Kyrgyzstan is a valued partner in the Global War on Terrorism, and these substantial investments demonstrate continued U.S. efforts to increase the aviation capabilities of its armed forces to perform counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics missions," the ministry quoted U.S. officials as saying at the ceremony.
The Russian-made aircraft were donated to Kyrgyzstan as part of the Aviation Interdiction Project, implemented in the former Soviet state in 2000.
The U.S. embassy in Kyrgyzstan said Washington has already provided over $20 million to the country under the project, including Mi-8 [Hip transport] helicopters, An-2 planes, fueling facilities, aviation spare parts, equipment, and building and infrastructure support.
Kyrgyzstan is located on the "drug route" leading from Afghanistan, the world's largest opium producer, to Russia and further to Europe.
The U.S. has also leased an air base at the Manas international airport, in the south of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, since December 2001 as part of a U.S.-led anti-terrorism operation in Afghanistan. About 1,000 U.S. servicemen and several military transport aircraft are deployed there.
