The U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan has issued a statement in response to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization\'s recent call for a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from bases in Central Asia, RFE/RL\'s Tajik Service reported on 9 July. The embassy noted that the bases were set up with the approval of host governments and will remain active as long as those governments consider the bases a factor beneficial to their national security. U.S. military facilities are located in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. (RFE/RL)