“The two presidents stressed the importance of strengthening the armed forces of Kyrgyzstan and developing Russian military installations on its territory,” according to a joint statement.
Russia is establishing a military base in Kyrgyzstan consisting of an airport and a naval facility on Lake Issyk Kul and several other locations.
Putin received his Kyrgyz counterpart, Sadr Japarov, in Moscow on the eve of a major military parade on May 9 to commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany.
Japarov will be one of the few foreign leaders to attend the parade.
Russia and Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, are linked to a Moscow-led military alliance under the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
According to the joint statement, the two countries also intend to “deepen military and technical cooperation” as well as economic and cultural relations in order “to achieve a new level of integration”.
The Russian military build-up will take place against the backdrop of the offensive in Ukraine and serious tensions with the West, which has adopted several sanctions packages against Moscow.
Closing of a radio station financed by the Americans
In late April, a Kyrgyz court approved the government’s request to shut down a US-funded radio station in the country.
The order came after months of pressure campaigning by the government to reach the decision that shuts down the country’s only non-governmental media outlet.
Radio Aztec is the local branch of Radio Free Europe, which is funded by Washington.
The move came alongside Russia’s announcement of an offer to “share experience” with Kyrgyzstan in the fight against foreign interference.
Visit Blinken
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan last March, where he met with five foreign ministers from the region.
Among them was the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan.
During the meeting, Blinken offered his counterparts to provide American support to reduce the dependence of these countries on Russia.
Blinken sought during his visit, the first by a senior U.S. Biden administration official, to Central Asia to bolster his country’s role there, where neighbor Russia has great influence.
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