Kyrgyzstan has announced it will close down an American military base on its territory used to send troops to Afghanistan, according to a report by media. "It is a matter of time until we close the base and since there are no more military actions in Afghanistan, one can therefore talk about putting an end to the activities of the base at Manas," Kyrgyz President Kurman Bek Bakiyev told a newspaper in an interview, which was re-published later. The Manas Air Base is used by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the U.S.-led coalition forces operating in Afghanistan. If indeed the base will be closed, the Americans and their allies would face severe difficulties in transferring their forces to Afghanistan. Three years ago, the Americans had to evacuate their bases in another former Soviet country, Uzbekistan, following a political row between the latter and the U.S.