Tuesday, February 15 2005 11:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Moscow: The ex-Soviet Republic of Kyrghyztan yesterday (Feb 14, 2005) turned down a US request for deployment of airborne early warning and control system (AWACS) planes, capable of spying on India, China and Russia, at the airbase in capital Bishkek.

"US Air Force's AWACS planes will not be deployed at the international anti-terror coalition airbase at Manas airport of Bishkek," Kyrghyztan's Foreign Minister Askar Aitmatov said.

Aitmatov conceded that Washington and Bishkek had held talks on the issue.

"However, after consultations with our allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, it was decided that deployment of American AWACS planes on our territory was not appropriate," Aitmatov was quoted as saying by the ITAR-TASS news agency.

He said that the airbase at 'Manas' is involved in logistic support to international anti-terror operations in Afghanistan and American spy planes "do not fit into its concept".

About 800 US Air Force personnel and a number refueller and transport planes are already deployed there.

The presence of AWACS in the strategically located Central Asian country in close vicinity of Afghanistan, China, India and Pakistan, would have allowed the Pentagon to keep an eye on China's restive Xinjiang, Tibet provinces and activities of Indian armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir besides northern parts, Russian Defence Ministry sources said.

The Americans could have also spied on Russia's Kant airbase near Bishkek and Russian military base in Tajikistan, they added.