BISHKEK. Sept 20 (Interfax-AVN) - The U.S. administration handed over four An-2 aircraft to the Kyrgyz Defense Ministry.
"The aircraft were handed over within the framework of the plan on prevention of illegal trafficking thorough the border using aviation (API) being put in action under the Exports Control and Related Border Security Program (EXBS)," a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
The two programs have been run in Kyrgyzstan since 2000. For the period the aid provided amounted to about $20 million. This included acquisition of Mi-8 helicopters, An-2 fixed-wing planes, refueling equipment, spares for aircraft, avionics for the Kyrgyz Armed Forces, as well as repairing and construction of installations and infrastructure development.
In the near future the U.S. is going to supply some more Mi-2 helicopters, spares and equipment and provide training to personnel, the spokesman said.
He added that Kyrgyzstan is a valuable ally in the global war on terror, and the investments made only demonstrate the increasing efforts the U.S. is making to reinforce the Air Force component of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces to make it ready to effectively counter terrorism and drug-trafficking.