Windows to Russia

Hello,

This meeting of Medvedev and Kurmanbek resulted in an interesting combination of events. Earlier in the week it was rumored that Kyrgyzstan was going to raise the rent on an American Military Air Base in Kyrgyzstan. Looks like that was just the forerunner to the real happenings. The contract for this American Military Base is over and America needs this base for much more efficient coverage of Afghanistan. Like a fly time of 1 and a half hours compared to 7 and a half hours to send jet fighters into Afghanistan.

So this meeting below:
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February 3, 2009
19:50

News
THE KREMLIN, MOSCOW.Dmitry Medvedev held talks with President of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

Within the framework of the Russian-Kyrgyz talks, agreements were signed on non-repayable financial aid by Russia to Kyrgyzstan, on providing a government loan to Kyrgyzstan, and on amortizing part of the government debt through material means and writing off the rest of Kyrgyzstan’s debt to Russia.

An intergovernmental agreement was also signed on constructing the Kambaratinskaya hydroelectric power station. Furthermore, the presidents signed a memorandum on mutual understanding regarding the development of economic and credit and financial cooperation between the two countries.

After the talks, Dmitry Medvedev and Kurmanbek Bakiyev answered questions by the press.
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Resulted in this happening:

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MOSCOW, February 3 (RIA Novosti) – Kyrgyzstan will demand the closure of a U.S. military base on its territory, used to support anti terrorism operations in neighboring Afghanistan, the Central Asian state’s president said on Tuesday.

Kurmanbek Bakiyev is on a two-day visit in Moscow, where he also secured deals to write off Kyrgyzstan’s $180 million debt and to receive a $2 billion discounted loan and $150 million in financial aid from Russia.

“The Kyrgyz government has taken a decision to terminate the rent of the base,” Bakiyev told a news conference after talks with Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev, citing Washington’s refusal to discuss a higher rent and reluctance to address the 2006 killing by a U.S. officer of a Kyrgyz man in an incident at the base.

“If we fail to ensure our citizens’ security, unresolved problems will cause legitimate public discontent,” Bakiyev said.

New U.S. President Barack Obama has announced plans to considerably increase troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. airbase was set up in 2001 as a transit point for NATO supplies to the international coalition in Afghanistan and now houses more than 1,000 military personnel. (Link)
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This is what Medvedev has been busy doing while Putin has been at the Davos: Medvedev has been working with multiple heads of states such as Castro in Cuba, Karimov of Uzbekistan, Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan and Lukashenko of Belarus.

Medvedev has also pushed through a very important agreement to the State Duma for ratification the Agreement on Operational Deployment, Use and Support of the Central Asian Collective Security Region Collective Rapid Reaction Force.

The agreement was signed on June 23, 2006, at the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) summit in Minsk. The CSTO member states are Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Rumor is that they will use the Military Base that the USA has 6 months to leave. (Ouch)

I also have heard a rumor that Medvedev has put a big hurt on Europe’s interesting excuse for a pipeline, Nabucco pipeline! Now Europe with cold hard facts staring them in the face have begun the thinking process that maybe Russia should help us build the pipeline in view of what Ukraine did to Europe. That way they at least will have gas to fill the pipeline with. As it is the pipeline is just 3,300 kilometers(2,050 mi)of empty tube! Russia’a Blue Stream Pipeline could boost the Nabucco pipeline into reality.

Medvedev has been a busy President…

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

PS:

America is jumping up and down over the Military Base Closing, main stream news has the article now. 🙂 Ouch!

US base closure may alter Afghan plans

Russia’s WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolai Valuev has opened a professional boxing school in his hometown of St. Petersburg, the boxer’s website said on Tuesday.

Russia and Belarus will step up efforts to create a customs union and a common economic space, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday.

The European parliament wants Russia to join the Nabucco pipeline project, planned to pump gas from Central Asia to Europe, a European diplomatic source said on Tuesday.

The Russian and Kyrgyzstan presidents, Dmitry Medvedev and Kurmanbek Bakiyev, are expected to discuss on Tuesday settlement of Kyrgyzstan’s debt to Russia and a further loan to the impoverished Central Asian state.

Russia’s most wanted footballer, Andrey Arshavin, has signed a contract with Arsenal, which will keep him at the North London club until 2012. The English Premier League must confirm the deal before it becomes official.

A seven-year-old boy who died defending his elder sister from a rapist has been honored with an Order of Courage medal. Evgeny Tabakov’s mother picked up the award for her dead son.

The fate of a US airbase in Kyrgyzstan hangs in the balance. The Americans have been told they’ll have to clear out if they don’t pay more.

The number of unemployed people in Russia has grown by 94,000 (6 per cent) in the past week. Official figures released on Tuesday show that 1,642,000 are currently out of a job and looking for work.

Hello,

The power of music and art is the soul of any nation and Russia has never lost that thought.

My wife and I have many times gone to free concerts in Moscow. Concerts of professional level and quality! We always donate, but that is never a necessity. Watching this video reminds me of the concerts we have gone to and watched. Music touches the soul…

Russians have soul!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.