Vladimir Putin in Kyrgyzstan: first visit abroad after the arrest warrant

Vladimir Putin's first official foreign visit to Kyrgyzstan since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him.

The Kremlin leader takes part in the summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

It should be clarified that he does not run the risk of being arrested: Kyrgyzstan has in fact not ratified the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court.

The Kant air base, which Russia maintains in Kyrgyzstan, represents "a substantial contribution to strengthening the defensive capabilities of this country, ensuring security and stability for the entire Central Asian region and for combating acute challenges and threats such as terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and organized crime," the Russian president said after talks in Bishkek with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

(Unioneonline/ss)