Russia is planning to increase its military presence in Central Asia to offset the deployment of US troops in the region. This was indicated by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov on Thursday, in a statement, few hours before the arrival of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, after the conclusion of his three-day state visit to India. ‘‘It’s necessary to enhance our military presence in places where it is possible and where it is justified, where people are waiting for us. It’s in Russia’s interest,’’ Ivanov declared while visiting the Kyrgyz military airport Kvant, which hosted demonstration flights of Russian jet fighters, recently deployed by Moscow. Last week, Russia sent two SU-25 ground attack jets and two Il-76 transport aircraft to the Kvant military airfield, outside Bishkek, as a part of an air force base currently underway, in the framework of the Collective Security Treaty, uniting six former Soviet republics. The Kvant air base is expected to have five SU-27 fighter jets, five SU-25 attack aircraft, two Il-76 and two AN-26 military transport planes, two MI-helicopter gunships and five L-39 trainers. In November, the Defence Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty decided at their summit to enhance the 3,000-strong rapid deployment force for Central Asia, which was set up last year to meet the threats posed by international terrorism. At the Bishkek summit, Putin and Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev will consider the situation in Central Asia and Afghanistan and the course of anti-terrorist operation in the region, Putin’s foreign affairs aide Sergei Prikhodko said.
