Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have agreed on further cooperation. This decision was made during the ninth session of intergovernmental Kyrgyz-Tajik Commission, which was held in Osh. The sides have discussed the consideration of key issues of further bilateral cooperation: mutual admission of cargoes through the state borders, migration, development of trade turnover between the two countries and joint use of hydroelectric resources...

Kyrgyzstan has reinforced its border with Tajikistan. According to the Kyrgyz border patrol, an incident happened last Saturday on the territory of the neighboring country, in Surkh enclave, around 100 meters away from the Kyrgyz state border. According to the preliminary data, a car with four passengers, Tajik citizens disobeyed the order of traffic police to stop. Police officers have made warning shots, however the unidentified were able to escape. The leadership of Kyrgyz border patrol ordered several border patrol units to be on high security duty. The border patrol department notes that the situation at the border is completely under control by the Kyrgyz and Tajik border patrol servicemen.

Nevertheless, the high security duty has been introduced. In May of 2006, according to the official data, the Tajik border post “Lykkan” and Kyrgyz border post “Ak-Tulpar” were assaulted by a group of gunmen...

The US Airbase in Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan ends its presence juristically but in fact the military facility remains. It will be slightly transformed and will receive purely civil status of “Transit Centre.” The Kyrgyz parliamentarian committee already received a ready project of the agreement between Washington and Bishkek. According to the Kyrgyz Foreign Affairs Minister, from now on Manas airbase servicemen will be considered as technical staff and will be able to leave the territory of the base only upon conformed lists with Kyrgyz officials. The new agreement anticipates a transit and storage of non-military cargoes. As it was noted by the Kyrgyz Foreign Affairs Minister, the government has resumed negotiation process with US partners after the meeting of Kyrgyz and Afghan presidents in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Hamid Karzay has emphasized that situation in his country is worsening and American military that holds back the Talibs and Al-Qaeda is in need of support.

The new agreement gives Kyrgyzstan substantial financial support. The rental for the use of Manas airport for US airplanes, freight terminals and infrastructure will be 60 million dollars a year, which is three times more than in the past...

The Kyrgyz Prime Minister Igor Chudinov has participated in the meeting of government heads of Eurasian Economic Community, which was held in Moscow. Moreover, member of Kyrgyz delegation have conducted several meetings with the members of Russian government. Prime Minister Igor Chudinov and Russian Minister of Federal Energy Agency Sergey Shmatko have discussed the perspectives of constructing Kambarata HPS in southern Kyrgyzstan. Moscow has confirmed its intention to invest two billion dollars into the joint enterprise, which will construct the energy object. The second meeting was held with the head of “Gazprom” Aleksey Miller. Chudinov and Miller have discussed the terms and mechanisms of the purchase of “Kyrgyzgaz” by “Gazprom.”

Kyrgyz Prime Minister has discussed all these projects with his colleague Russia Premier Vladimir Putin and ensured the support of the Russian government head. Also during negotiations in Moscow, Kyrgyz Premier has asked his colleagues to support the intention of the country to join the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Byelorussia...

The President of Afghanistan has appealed to the leadership of Kyrgyzstan with a request not to shut down the US Air Base. Hamid Karzay wants to meet with the Kyrgyzstan’s President Kurmanbek Bakiev to discuss the possibilities of prolonging the mandate of the US Air Base, which is located 30 kilometers away from Bishkek at the Manas International Airport. Kabul justifies its position by the necessity to support the stability in the country, which directly depends on the presence and military efficiency of the American military contingent. Official Bishkek confirmed that it has received the letter from Kabul.

“Manas” is being used by the Pentagon for anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan. Military detachments, armament and equipment are being transferred through the base. The year of 2009 became a turning point for the base. During negotiations in Moscow, President of Kyrgyzstan announced the decision of the government to withdraw the coalition forces from the country. The decision to shut down the base was approved by the Parliament of the country...

The expansion perspectives of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are being discussed on the shores of Issyk-Kul Lake of Kyrgyzstan by political scientists and experts from Russia and Central Asian countries. The agenda of the session is the possible inclusion of India, Iran and Pakistan as equal members of the organization. At the moment these countries have a status of observers...

Kyrgyzstan will accept only equal dialogue with the neighboring countries on water and energy problems. In spite of Tashkent’s demands and persistent recommendations of Astana; the Kyrgyz authorities are not intended to refuse from plans on the construction of Hydroelectric Power Stations on trans-border rivers. The Hydroelectric Power Station “Kambarata-2” is an object of special pride of Kyrgyz officials. The largest, for the country, project since the collapse of the Soviet Union is being constructed by the country independently. The construction is already in its final stage. Kyrgyz Prime Minister has familiarized with the work process. Igor Chudinov has emphasized that the energy problem should be solved on the round table. Bishkek is ready to provide neighboring countries with water only on mutually beneficial conditions – if partners will compensate the water loss.

Until now, neighboring countries were receiving water from Kyrgyzstan whenever and as much as they wanted. This has resulted in the drop of the water level at Toktogul reservoir by more than 50 meters. During winter the country was forced to waste water in order to provide electricity and heat to their citizens, whereas during summers the water was provided to the neighboring countries for irrigations needs. As a result, last year, Kyrgyzstan was hit by an energy crisis and country introduced severe limits on electricity consumption...

The Kyrgyz authorities are worried about the escalation of the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where military detachments are conducting scaled operations against Taliban fighters. The illegal armed units are being pushed towards Central Asian countries, which threaten the stability in the region. The President of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiev has conducted an extraordinary session with defense and law enforcement agencies over the possible infiltration of Taliban fighters...

The situation on Kyrgyz-Uzbek border has a tendency for complication. This opinion is expressed by the representatives of Kyrgyz law enforcements. Yesterday, several incidents have taken place on near-border territory of Uzbekistan. The press-service of Uzbek General Prosecution Office has confirmed two of them. On the night of May 26 gunmen have assaulted Hanabad checkpoint in Andizhan region of Uzbekistan...

Dialog on the highest level between Central Asian leaders have not solved the existing water issues. The Summit of Central Asian presidents and founders of International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, which was held yesterday in the southern capital of Kazakhstan, has uncovered serious discrepancies between the leaders of the region on the issues related to the use of water and energy resources. The Summit did not become the turning point for catastrophically shallowed Aral Sea. The problem was imminent for a long time. Uzbekistan numerously noted that ecologic catastrophe of the Aral Sea resulted from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan constructing large hydroelectric power stations on their territories. Bishkek and Dushanbe plan to raise new dams, Tashkent vigorously opposes the initiative. On the eve of the Summit, Uzbek President Islam Karimov held talks with presidents of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. They had to express their discontent over the construction of hydroelectric power stations of Kambarata in Kyrgyzstan and Rogun in Tajikistan. No one expected that the reply to the larger neighbors will be very harsh.

According to experts, the summit in Almaty turned to be quite indicative and instructive. Countries will have to search for other ways of solving water and energy issues of the region. The question is which pass will be chosen by the leaders of the region in further dialog; finding a compromise or confrontation...