Russia, Kyrgyzstan to ink agreements during Putin visit

MOSCOW, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian president Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to Kyrgyzstan on Thursday at the invitation of Kyrgyz president Sooronbai Jeenbekov, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

The presidents will discuss prospects for the development of the Russian-Kyrgyz strategic partnership and allied relations, it said in a statement.

The parties will exchange views on deepening cooperation in regional associations, taking into account the current chairmanship of Kyrgyzstan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Following the talks, Putin and Jeenbekov will sign a joint statement. During the visit, a number of intergovernmental, interdepartmental, interregional and commercial documents will also be inked.

Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters Wednesday that during the visit a protocol will be signed containing amendments to the 2012 agreement on the presence of the Russian Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan.

According to a draft of the protocol published on a government legal information website, the parties will agree to increase the rent for the base to 4.79 million U.S. dollars a year from 4.5 million and its territory by some 58 hectares.

The Russian airbase was opened in Kyrgyzstan in 2003. In 2012, Kyrgyzstan agreed to lease the base to Russia for 15 years with an automatic extension every five years.