A Russian military delegation has been in Kyrgyzstan since Sept. 19, holding talks with Kyrgyz defense officials. The delegation is set to sign an agreement Sept. 24 to create a unified Russian base structure in Kyrgyzstan consolidating Russia's four military facilities in the country — an air base in Kant, a naval training and research center at Lake Issyk-Kul, and seismic facilities in the Issyk-Kul and Jalal-Abad regions — under a single, joint command. Russia, which has been undergoing a reorganization of its military command structure this year, has not made any major military moves in the country beyond temporarily reinforcing its Kant air base with a company of 150 paratroopers, which have since been withdrawn. However, Moscow is laying the groundwork for a more pronounced and efficient military presence in the region; STRATFOR sources say Moscow is considering sending up to 25,000 troops who previously served in the North Caucasus into Central Asia in the next few months and through 2011.
