The United States on Saturday entered into an agreement with Romania for an airbase on the Black Sea as a transit point for its troops leaving Afghanistan. The agreement was reached following a meeting between US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel and his Romanian counterpart Mircea Dusa at the Pentagon. The airbase will support logistics into and out of Afghanistan, including both personnel and cargo movement, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said. “Hagel praised this agreement, which is particularly important as the US prepares to wind down transit centre operations at Manas, Kyrgystan next year,” Little said.
The defence secretary highlighted this agreement as further testament to Romania’s steadfast commitment to the ISAF mission and its commitment to regional and international security.
Earlier in the day, the Pentagon announced that it has begun the process of relocating from the Transit Centre at Manas International Airport, and plans to complete transfer of areas and facilities to government of Kyrgyzstan by July 2014.
“The current agreement between the US and Kyrgyz governments on hosting the TCM expires in July 2014. The US appreciates the support provided by the Kyrgyz people to its forces and coalition efforts to counter threat of terrorism and achieve security and stability in Afghanistan and the region,” Little said in a separate statement. “It respects the decision of the Government of Kyrgyzstan to end hosting the TCM after more than 12 years,” he said.
The United States has about 51,000 troops in Afghanistan and the bulk of the force will be pulled out — along with huge quantities of vehicles and weapons — by the end of 2014.
America, however, hopes to keep a smaller force of 8,000 to 12,000 troops in Afghanistan after the main pullout but has yet to clinch an agreement with the Kabul government.
Withdrawing soldiers and equipment out of land-locked Afghanistan is a daunting logistical challenge, and the Pentagon plans to rely mainly on land routes through Pakistan to move out most of the vehicles and gear.
Troops as well as weapons, ammunition and other sensitive items will be flown out by cargo plane.