Uzbekistan Allows Germany To Maintain Military Base
11 December 2005 -- Uzbekistan says it will allow Germany to keep its military base on Uzbek soil near the border with Afghanistan.
The Uzbek government said today that the agreement to extend operations at the base in Termez, southern Uzbekistan, was signed yesterday after Uzbek President Islam Karimov's meeting with German Deputy Defense Minister Friedbert Pflueger.
The German Defense Ministry said the agreement is long-term and ensures Termez will remain a hub for its logistics for Afghanistan, including the evacuation of wounded.
The deal ends months of uncertainty after the Uzbek government evicted a U.S. military base in the southeast of the country and demanded that NATO withdraw all its troops and stop overflights.
That followed U.S.-led Western criticism of the Uzbek government's bloody crackdown on mass protests in the city of Andijon in May.
(AP)
A dedicated webpage bringing together all of RFE/RL's coverage of the events in Andijon, Uzbekistan, in May 2005 and their continuing repercussions.
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