Kyrgyz president signs base closure bill

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on Friday signed the bill to close an air base the U.S. military uses for troops and supplies heading to Afghanistan.

Once the Kyrgyz government officially presents the measure to U.S. representatives, the American military will have 180 days to withdraw from the Manas facility, CNN reported.

The U.S. Embassy in Bishkek hasn't received formal notification of the base closure, spokeswoman Michelle Yerkin said.

"The Manas air base continues to operate under existing agreements, as per the coalition's efforts in Afghanistan," Yerkin said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the United States would work with Kyrgyzstan on keeping the base open.

"We have not resigned ourselves to this being the last word," Gates told The New York Times during a meeting in Krakow, Poland, of NATO defense ministers.

Gates said one option may be offering to pay larger fees to keep the base open, adding, "We are not going to be ridiculous about it."

The United States also were looking at alternatives to the base, Gates said.

The air base is the United States' only base in Central Asia and employs more than 1,000 service personnel. It is used to transport military personnel and cargo to Afghanistan and to refuel aircraft.

U.S President Barack Obama announced this week an additional 17,000 U.S. troops would be deployed to Afghanistan during the coming months.

Bakiyev announced plans to close the base after talks in Moscow in early February, when he secured more than $2 billion in aid and loans from Russia. However, Bakiyev denied his decision was linked to the financial package.