BISHKEK. April 17 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian special services will help Kyrgyzstan thwart drug trafficking, Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Nikolai Patrushev told Interfax on Wednesday.
Patrushev is currently conducting a working visit to Bishkek. He met with Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev, the Security Council secretary and the National Security Service chairman.
Patrushev's objective is to boost bilateral cooperation in combating international terrorism.
During the visit, Russia's FSB and Kyrgyzstan's Security Service signed a protocol to an agreement on eradicating terrorism on air transportation. This document will strengthen the legal foundation for cooperation, Patrushev said.
Commenting on the deployment of U.S. military contingents in Central Asia, Patrushev said, "the United States announced a while ago that it was coming to Central Asia for a short period of time to conduct the anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, and we must consider it true."
As to prospects of cooperation with Georgian special services, Patrushev said that the FSB had established "good and normal relations" with corresponding Georgian agencies a long time ago. "I certainly think that relations with Georgia are complicated at present, but potentially we will move forward and work jointly, too," he said.
Patrushev ends his visit to Bishkek on Wednesday.