WORLD> Asia-Pacific
Kyrgyz president signs law to close US air base
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-20 17:11

MOSCOW - Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on Friday signed in the capital of Bishkek a law to officially close the US air base for anti-terror operations in Afghanistan, Russian news agencies reported.

The president's signature came after the Kyrgyz parliament voted overwhelmingly on Thursday in favor of the closure. The US military will have 180 days to remove its soldiers and equipment out of the air base once notified by the Kyrgyz government.

"Bakiyev has signed the bill passed by the parliament on Thursday, terminating the agreement with the United States," Interfax quoted the president's press service as saying.