Interfax
December 20

zbek President Islam Karimov is pleased with the fact that the United States is standing by its commitments in using a military base in his country.

He said this to journalists at a news conference following a ceremony commissioning a gas chemical plant in Kashkadarya region.

The protocol signed by Uzbekistan and the United States made it clear that Uzbek soil would not be used for ground or air strikes in Afghanistan, Karimov said.

The 1,500 U.S. personnel at the Khonabad base are behaving as they should in a foreign country, he said.

Uzbekistan does not charge any payment for the use of the base, Karimov said. "We do not intend to cash in on participation in the anti- terrorist operation," he said.

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