Kyrgyz president meets U.S. Central Command chief
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Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev met Wednesday with General David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, to discuss improving cooperation between the two countries.
Petraeus said the United States attaches great importance to cooperation with Kyrgyzstan and thinks highly of the development of their bilateral relations, the Kyrgyz presidential press office said.
Petraeus appreciated Kyrgyzstan's support for the U.S.-led anti-terrorism operation in Afghanistan, the office said.
Bakiyev stressed that Kyrgyzstan is willing to work with the international community for security, stability and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
Local press reported Wednesday the United States is planning to build an anti-terrorism training center in southern Kyrgyzstan.
Sources said the center may be small because construction would begin a short time after a joint military office is established, with a start-up fund of five million dollars from the U.S.
The information has been confirmed by the Kyrgyz Defense Ministry, which said the negotiation is going on and a final agreement is yet to be reached.
During the war in Afghanistan in 2001, Kyrgyzstan's Manas international airport was used by the United States as an airbase, which served as an important pass-through transportation center for military personnel and equipment in and out of Afghanistan.
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