Reuters
January 22
eneral Tommy Franks, commander of the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan , met Uzbek President Islam Karimov Tuesday during a five-day tour of ex-Soviet Central Asian states which have lent Washington military support.
Uzbekistan has let at least 1,500 U.S. troops use its Khanabad airbase near the Afghan border for humanitarian and search-and-rescue operations, in a move being closely followed by Russia, which sees the region as its own backyard.
After Uzbekistan set the precedent, aircraft of the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition have also started using bases in nearby Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Franks, who arrived Monday and leaves Friday, has made several visits to the region in the past four months.
Of the general's meeting with Karimov, an Uzbek government official told Reuters in the capital Tashkent: ``The two discussed a wide range of issues concerning fighting terrorism and the security situation in the region.''
The issues discussed also included Afghanistan's post-war order and bilateral military relations but the official declined to elaborate. U.S. officials were unavailable.
A spokesman for Uzbekistan's defense ministry told Reuters that Franks and Uzbek Chief of Staff Tulkun Kasymov had approved a plan for military contacts for the current year which envisaged ``an intensive exchange, including visits.''
``The two sides also exchanged views on the current status and further development of military and technical cooperation between the two states,'' he said.
Franks is due to make a brief visit Wednesday to Kyrgyzstan, where the United States maintains troops at the Manas airport. He is also expected to visit Tajikistan, which has offered facilities, although U.S. military specialists are still examining them to decide if they are suitable.
He is expected to brief reporters in Tashkent Thursday.
U.S. military involvement in the region is being watched closely from Moscow and President Vladimir Putin has said he does not expect American forces to stay long in a part of the world that Russia considers vital to its interests.