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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| atimes: Kyrgyz president fears war in the south |
| 2013-12-22 |
| President Almazbek Atambayev of Kyrgyzstan announced this month that a US$1 billion Kyrgyz-Russian arms deal is ready to be implemented, with delivery "soon" of "artillery pieces, tanks, shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles and other military equipment". [1] The Russian Federal Security Service controlled Regnum news agency [2] has coincidentally quoted a statement by Atambayev on December 16 referring to a possible "foreign army attack" on Kyrgyzstan. [3] Domestic politics insiders in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, believe Atambayev was referring to complications with Uzbekistan in the Ferghana Valley. It is no secret that the present state of Kyrgyz-Uzbek relations is considered outside government as counterproductive given the numerous deadly cross border skirmishes between the states. Official Tashkent, the Uzbekistan capital, does not miss a chance to remind its neighbors in Kyrgyzstan of the possible consequences of any unilateral decisions Bishek makes to build hydro stations in the upstream rivers in the Ferghana Valley. |
| Posted by:3dc |