Putin to attend 20th anniversary event of Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay an official visit to Kyrgyzstan next week, a Kyrgyz presidential official said on Wednesday.

Putin and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov are expected to take part in the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian military base in the city of Kant on Oct. 12, Muratbek Azimbakiyev told a news conference in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek.

"As part of the upcoming visit, bilateral talks between the head of state (Sadyr Zhaparov) and President Vladimir Putin are planned. The leaders will discuss topical issues of the bilateral and multilateral agenda, as well as prospects for further development of mutually beneficial cooperation," he said.

On Oct. 13, Bishkek will host a meeting of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Kyrgyzstan is presiding over the political bloc this year.

"The summit will take important decisions aimed at expanding and strengthening cooperation between CIS member states in trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres," he said.

CIS includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.