MOSCOW, Feb 8: Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Sunday urged Russia to use its influence to keep open an airbase in Kyrgyzstan used by western forces as a link to Afghanistan, says a report.

“If Nato and Russia will cooperate on this question... I hope the Kyrgyz government’s decision won’t be final,” Mr Scheffer said in an interview with the Echo of Moscow radio in Munich.

“I hope Mr (Deputy) Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov... could help persuade the Kyrgyz president, so that Russia and Nato can cooperate in relation to Afghanistan,” said the Nato chief.

He was speaking after Russian and western officials met at an international security conference in the German city described by Mr Ivanov as ‘very positive’. —AFP