Afghanistan withdrawal may set screen for U.S. to establish bases in Caspian region - expert

Withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan could become the pretext for the Americans to establish long-term bases in the Caspian region, Director General of the Caspian Cooperation Institute, Sergei Mikheev believes.

"Per se, the withdrawal of troops could become the pretext for the Americans create long-term bases, and for consolidation in the region of Central Asia and the Caspian Sea at the same time. Initially, the question will be transshipment of goods, and later will allude to the fact that the region is something disquieted, it is necessary to leave the base and then raise the question of its expansion," Mikheev said on Friday during a multimedia roundtable in the format of Astana -Moscow videoconference on the topic "Caspian region: security problems and development prospects".

As an example, the Russian expert called the Manas military base in Kyrgyzstan.

The Manas base can be called as transit center, center of assistance to the Kyrgyz people, but in fact it is an air base of the U.S. troops. It is no secret that an electronic center for surveillance of the region is located there," Mikheev said.

In his view, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan could become a destabilizing factor for Central Asia, and the Caspian Sea region as well.


/Trend/