Kyrgyz May Allow France and Spain to Use U.S. Air Base

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyz lawmakers have given initial support for a deal to allow French and Spanish armed forces to use a U.S. air base crucial to operations in nearby Afghanistan.

The Kyrgyz parliament's International Affairs Committee voted Monday to approve a one-year deal giving the two European nations permission to station technical staff at Manas transit center.

The deal must be approval by the full parliament and the president. It appears unlikely to meet resistance.

Kyrgyzstan said earlier this year that U.S. forces would have to leave Manas by mid-August, and also evicted 11 nations including France and Spain. The government later reversed its stance after the United States offered better terms, and allowed U.S. forces to use the base for at least another year.