Russia and the Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan have signed papers extending the operation of the Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday. The two delegations also signed papers that let Russia write off Kyrgyzstan credit debts, an estimated $489 mln. The documents were signed by both two ministers of Finance after negotiations held by their two presidents – Vladimir Putin and Almazbek Atambaev.

During the talks, Atambaev said that "the future of Kyrgyzstan is linked to its partnership with the great Russia," he also called Russia "Kyrgyzstan's main strategic partner."

"We have finally signed papers that have been talked through for years, some of them for decades," the Kyrgyz president said.

The agreement concerning the Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan will come into force in 2017. The paper prolonged the base for 15 years with the potential to automatically prolong it for another 5 years. After the paper was signed, Putin said that Russian military bases will ensure stability in the Central Asian region after NATO troops withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Atambaev added that the USA will have to leave its airport military air base in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan's capital) after 2014.

Putin told Atambaev that Russia is ready to help Kyrgyzstan develop the air base after the USA leaves.