RUSSIA - Oct. 23 - Opens Air Base To Guard Southern Flank.

Moscow inaugurates an air base at Kant in the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, the first permanent expansion of its military presence abroad since the fall of the Soviet Union. The move comes at a time of growing concern at instability along Russia's southern borders and of competition for influence in central Asia, following the US-led anti-terrorist coalition's creation of a base at Kyrgyzstan's Manas international airport after the start of the Afghanistan war. It represents a first significant result of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and of the Commonwealth of Independent States, designed to provide some political coherence to the states of the former Soviet Union at a time of growing US presence in central Asia. Pres. Vladimir Putin of Russia and Pres. Askar Akayev of Kyrgystan jointly opened the Kant base, which state television said housed 150 officers and up to 20 combat and transport aircraft and helicopters. Mr Putin played down any tension with US forces and stressed that Kant would be used for a rapid reaction force to counter the threat of terrorism. He recalled how Kyrgyzstan and neighbouring Uzbekistan had suffered from incursions by rebel groups in 1999 and 2000 - just after Russia had withdrawn from Kant. Mr Akayev has attempted to maintain a careful balance between the interests of the US, Russia and China. Once seen as a champion of reform and democratic progress in central Asia, he has been criticised recently for his authoritarian line. Russian officials refused to comment on the costs of the base, which in the coming months will house up to 500 officers. However, Mr Putin last year agreed a write-off in Kyrgyz debts to Russia of $40m (34m, [pounds sterling]24m). Sergei Ivanov, his defence minister, said yesterday that Russian state arms exporters were donating $3m in equipment to Kyrgyzstan. Among the Sukhoi fighter jets that have used Kant is one in which Mr Putin flew to Russia's conflict-ridden republic of Chechnya in 1999 in a skilful public relations exercise in the build-up to presidential elections. The director of the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, John Chipman, says: "This is not a new Great Game but Putin has been concerned about a semi-permanent presence of the US in central Asia".