The Guardian 20 July, 2005
Asian nations pursue base closures
Marilyn Bechtel
The Shanghai Cooperation Association (SCO) — China, Russia and the Central Asian states
of Kazakhstan, Kyrghizstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — has fired a diplomatic shot across
the bow of the Bush administration's plans to keep bases in Central Asia.
The SCO, meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, said in a declaration that while it had supported counter-
terror activities in Afghanistan, including use of base facilities, its member countries now "regard it
as essential that the relevant members of the anti-terrorist coalition set final deadlines for the
temporary use of said infrastructure facilities and for the presence of military contingents of the
member countries".
The United States has two major bases in the region: Manas in Kyrghizstan and Khanabad in
Uzbekistan. About 3000 NATO troops have been stationed at Manas, while some 1300 US military
personnel are based at Khanabad. German troops are stationed at Termez, on the Uzbek-Afghan
border, while France uses a military airfield in Tajikistan.
The SCO also called on the international community to create a new security concept based on
mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination. It said a fair and rational world order should
be based on strengthened mutual trust and good-neighbourliness and on genuine partnership free
of any claims to monopoly or dominance in world affairs. "The people of each country have the
right to choose their own road of development", the statement said.
Initiated in the mid-1990s to promote cooperation in resolving border issues, the SCO was
formalised in 2001. Mongolia was accepted as an observer in 2004, and observer status was
extended to India, Iran and Pakistan at this year's summit.
Observers noted that with these additions, the SCO now embraces almost half the world's
population. The next summit is to take place in China in 2006.
People's Weekly World