NEW DELHI. April 28 (Interfax) - Russia is boosting the combat readiness of its bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan amid attempts by the United States and its allies to restore their military presence in Central Asia, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
"The U.S. and its allies are trying to restore their military presence in Central Asia under the pretext of assistance in fighting terrorism. We view requests to the region's countries to permit the deployment of military infrastructure as a direct threat to stability across the space of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO]," Shoigu said at a meeting of the SCO member countries' defense ministers in New Delhi on Friday.
"For our part, we are enhancing the combat readiness of the Russian bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and of other forces responding to various challenges," he said.
"As a result of their 20-year presence in Afghanistan and their subsequent rapid withdrawal, NATO countries bear the most responsibility for the present-day situation there. They must cover the main financial costs related to post-conflict recovery," Shoigu said.