Kyrgyzstan allows NATO transits

Kyrgyzstan has signed an agreement with NATO to allow the transit of military cargo to and from Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry in Bishkek announced on Wednesday. The deal was inked by Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev and NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow during the weekend NATO summit in Chicago. The accord will help international efforts to ensure "the security and stabilization of Afghanistan," Kazakbayev said after the signing ceremony. The Manas Military Base near Bishkek, set up by the United States in 2001, is the main transit hub for NATO forces in Afghanistan. Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev announced plans in November last year to shut the base down by 2014, when the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force are due to end combat in Afghanistan.