Ivanov Looks Forward for Agreement on the Russian Bases

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov expressed hope that Russia and Georgia would reach a mutually acceptable decision concerning the Russian military bases remaining in Georgia, if Tbilisi shows readiness to this as well.

At a press conference on November 22 in Prague, Ivanov stated that two Russian military bases, located in Vaziani (near Tbilisi) and in Gudauta (Abkhazia), were shut down according to the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Agreement.

“We should conduct negotiations on the remaining two bases to reach mutually acceptable decision” – Ivanov said.

Georgian politicians urge complete removal Russia’s military presence. There still are two Russian bases in Georgia – in Akhalkalaki and Batumi. Besides this, HQ of the South Caucasus Group of the Russian Army is located in Tbilisi, and as unofficial sources inform, there still is a Russian military unit staying in Vaziani base.

Strong demands towards Russia were once again sounded at the NATO Prague Summit in the declaration of the North Atlantic Council, adopted on November 21. The declaration says that “we call upon Russia to fulfill its liabilities towards Georgia and Moldova, undertaken under the OSCE Istanbul Agreement”.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)