Official offer

Published: 4 October 2001 y., Thursday
Uzbekistan has cleared the way for U.S. planes to use its airspace and several of its strategically located airfields in the expected U.S.-led attack on Afghanistan. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is headed to Uzbekistan to discuss the arrangements. This week, Uzbekistan's president officially offered his country's airspace and three air bases to the United States for use in any attacks on suspected terrorist bases inside neighboring Afghanistan. Uzbekistan shares a 137-kilometer-long border with Afghanistan, making the former Soviet republic's support a strategic asset to U.S. warplanes in planning an attack. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is headed to Uzbekistan to discuss this possibility. The international media are just discovering this heretofore little-known Central Asian nation, but U.S. defense officials are already well-acquainted with Uzbekistan, with which it has had cooperative military exercises in the past. For the U.S., the benefit of the new partnership is clear: The U.S. would value a clear corridor through Uzbekistan's airspace and access to its bases. For Uzbekistan, the rewards of cooperation are less clear.
Šaltinis: RFE/RL
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.

Facebook Comments

New comment


Captcha

Associated articles

The most popular articles

Heads of foreign states came to the funeral of President Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas

Heads of foreign states bid farewell to the late President of the Republic of Lithuania, Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas. more »

Memorial remarks by President Dalia Grybauskaitė at the State Funeral for President Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas

Today we say farewell to one of the most prominent Lithuanian politicians, a sincere and open person, a man of principle, Algirdas Brazauskas - the first directly elected president of Lithuania after re-independence. more »

Lithuania seeks to reap the benefits of experience of the Czech Prezidency of the Council of the European Union

Head of Cabinet of the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union Marek Mora is paying a visit to Lithuania from 30 June to 1 July. more »

Foreign Minister: treaty of Lisbon, energy security and relations with Eastern neighbours top the list of Lithuania‘S Eu priorities

Lithuania‘s Minister of Foreign Affairs A. Ažubalis says, that continuous implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon, energy security, as well as European Union‘s relations with Eastern Neighbourhood countries and Russia would stay on the list of European policy issues that are the most important to Lithuania in the second half of 2010. more »

The President: Strategic decisions adopted by the European Council will help prevent crises in the future

President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė calls the decisions adopted by the European Council strategic and important for Lithuania and for the whole European Union. more »

Lithuania's Foreign Minister and Poland's Minister of National Defence discussed cooperation in security and defence

On 16 June in Vilnius, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis and Poland’s Minister of National Defence Bogdan Klich discussed successful bilateral cooperation on security and defence matters. more »

The President congratulated Iceland’s President on Independence Day

President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė sent congratulations to President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson of the Republic of Iceland on Iceland's national holiday, the Independence Day. more »

The President to discuss the possibility to attract investment in alternative energies, in Luxembourg

President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė goes on an official visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. more »

Lithuania and China to strengthen their economic cooperation

President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė received a high-ranking government official from China, He Guoqiang. more »

On the occasion of European Day for Border Guards the EU Ambassadors visited Medininkai

On the occasion of European Day for Border Guards, the 10th of June, heads of diplomatic missions of the European Union member states in Lithuania visited the Border Guard School in Medininkai. more »