Moscow Submits 2006 Schedule of Military Bases’ Withdrawal

Georgian Deputy Defense Minister Mamuka Kudava said at a press conference on March 17 that the Russian side has submitted 2006 timetable and detail plan of withdrawal of military hardware and equipment from its two military bases in Georgia.  
 
He said that the process of pullout of Russian military bases from Georgia is still in progress, although the relevant agreement on “Terms of Temporary Functioning, Rules and Withdrawal of Russian Military Bases and Other Military Facilities of the Group of Russian Forces in Trans Caucasus (GRVZ) Stationed on the Territory of Georgia” has not been signed by the sides yet. The withdrawal process is carried out under the joint declaration of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Georgian ex-Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili signed last May.
 
A total of 358 items of armament and vehicles will be withdrawn, including 113 tanks and armored vehicles starting from May 12, 2006.
 
369 items of armament and vehicles will be transported to the Russian 102nd military base located in Gyumri, Armenia, including 35 tanks and armored vehicles.
 
According to the plan, by the end of 2006, all the heavy military hardware assigned to the Akhalkalaki military base will be completely withdrawn from Georgia.
 
The Georgian Defense Ministry the Georgian side is also undertaking steps to facilitate the withdrawal process. In particular, the issue of granting visas to the Russian military servicemen and their family members has been already settled; at the request of the Russian side cargo loading platform has been built in Tsalka that will facilitate the withdrawal of military hardware through railway from Akhalkalaki military base; the Georgian side expressed readiness to assign a certain number of trucks to assist in withdrawal of heavy military hardware, according to the Georgian Defense Ministry.

Russia has already pulled out part of its military equipment from Georgia as envisaged by the May 30, 2005 joint declaration of Foreign Ministers of the two countries. 40 items of military equipment (including 20 tanks), dozens of trucks and other vehicles were withdrawn from the territory of Georgia in August 2005. Military facilities (including the military shooting range “Gonio”, guarded command point “Zvezda”, communication network point number 66 located in Kojiri) have been transferred to the Ministry of Defence of Georgia.