US troops will leave their base in Karshi-Khanabad, southern Uzbekistan on time at the Uzbek government's request, a senior US official said on Tuesday.

Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state in charge of European and Eurasian affairs, told reporters in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent that the United States respects the decision made by the Uzbek government, reports reaching here from Tashkent said.

On Tuesday, Uzbek President Islam Karimov met with Fried. Both sides exchanged views on the US-Uzek relations and issues concerning regional security.

In the autumn of 2001, the United States rented Uzbekistan's Khanabad airport and built a military base there to back up its anti-terror operations in neighboring Afghanistan.

In July this year, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry presented a note to the US embassy in Uzbekistan, demanding US troops leave the country within 180 days.

Also in July, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes Uzbekistan, issued a statement calling for a deadline for a US military withdrawal from its members.

On Aug. 26, the Uzbek parliament approved the government decision to evict US troops.

Source: Xinhua