Kyrgyz president signs law on US transit center at Manas Airport.

BISHKEK, July 7 (Itar-Tass) -- Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has signed a law on the deployment of an American cargo transshipment center at the Bishkek Manas Airport. The law related to the transit of coalition cargo to Afghanistan was approved by the Kyrgyz parliament on June 25, a source at the presidential press office told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.

The intergovernmental agreement to that effect was signed in Bishkek
on June 22, and entered into force with the president's signature.
According to the agreement, the United States will annually pay $60
million for renting the Manas land and infrastructure. The U.S. paid only
$17.5 million per year for the Manas airbase. Apart from that, the United
States will build a runway for its aircraft and special storage facilities.
Kyrgyz and U.S. servicemen will jointly protect the perimeter of the
Manas transit center. The foreign personnel will be under the U.S.
jurisdiction. Guards will be permitted to carry guns only on duty hours.
They will comply with Kyrgyz laws but enjoy diplomatic immunity granted on
coordination with Kyrgyzstan.
The Kyrgyz-U.S. agreement on the status of the cargo transshipment
center does not permit Kyrgyzstan to inspect the cargo carried to and from
Afghanistan through the Bishkek Airport and to levy any duties. The
agreement does not say which cargo can and which cannot be transported
through Kyrgyzstan. The agreement will be valid for the period of five
years. After that it may be extended by consent of the sides, with a
review of the rent amount.
In February 2009 the Kyrgyz parliament approved the decision to pull
out the American airbase from the premises of the Bishkek Manas Airport.
The airbase was deployed in Manas in December 2001. Bakiyev supported the
decision. The American servicemen were due to leave the Kyrgyz territory
before August 18, 2009.