Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

During the past couple of days, a report has been published in the mass media saying that the U.S. intends to open a military base in Uzbekistan.

Some online resources announced that the U.S. Commander of Central Command, Gen. Lloyd Austin Jay III held talks with Uzbek officials during his visit to Uzbekistan in late July on the possible deployment of the U.S. troops and equipment in the country's Termez airport located in the immediate vicinity of the border with Afghanistan.

On August 4, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry expressed its official position on the alleged ongoing talks about the opening of the U.S. military base in the country.

"In line with the foreign policy concept of the country approved on September 10, 2012, Uzbekistan does not allow any foreign military deployment in its territory," the Ministry said.

The U.S. Central Command has also denied the report.

"The head of the U.S. Central Command did not discuss the possible deployment of the U.S. base in Uzbekistan during his talks in Tashkent, " Spokesman for the U.S. Central Command Brian Fickel said.

The U.S. used the Khanabad military airfield in Uzbekistan's Kashkadarya region, located 10 kilometers east of the Karshi city from 2001 to 2005.

Uzbekistan called the U.S. to leave the air base after Washington criticized Tashkent's actions during anti-terrorist operations in Andijan in May 2005.

A new agreement on using the civilian airport near Termez city was signed in April 2010. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The U.S. representatives have been authorized to use it since 2008.