Kyrgyzstan's ousted president says from exile in Belarus that he will not return to his homeland as its leader.
Kurmanbek Bakiyev told reporters Friday in Minsk that he has signed a letter of resignation.
Mr. Bakiyev also said he had irritated Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev by allowing the U.S. to have access to the Manas airbase, a key support facility for NATO operations in Afghanistan. He said both Russian leaders told him "this annoys us."
Russia also maintains a military base in Kyrgyzstan.
Mr. Bakiyev had insisted earlier this week that that he was still the rightful Kyrgyz president.
Interim leader Roza Otunbayeva had said the ousted president's remarks about holding on to the presidency were the "bravado of a man agonizing over his own helplessness."
Mr. Bakiyev fled to Minsk, via Kazakhstan, several days after the April 7 uprising against his five-year rule.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
