US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, says Kyrgyzstan will continue to lease Manas Transit Center to the US military.
The agreement, which is valid for a year, was signed after much diplomatic wrangling in July 2009. Under the new terms, the United States reportedly is paying $60 million for the facility, a massive increase on the $17-million annual fee it paid previously.
"We will renew the arrangements in the next few weeks, and I wanted to launch that process. We've very grateful to the Kyrgyz's Government for that support," Holbrooke said at a State Department press briefing on March 2.
Commenting on his recent whistle-stop tour of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, Holbrooke added he had discussed Northern Distribution Network-related issues with the leaders of all four states, including over-flight rights for military cargos with Kazakhstan.