Russia Wants USD 500 million to Pull out Troops from Georgia

Georgian Foreign Minister Tedo Japaridze in an interview to the Imedi television said “the Russians are demanding USD 500 million to speed up their [troops’] withdrawal from Georgia.”

“This is a matter for negotiation. We believe that sums required for pulling out of the base are much lower,” he added.

Tedo Japaridze has recently visited Moscow and held talks with the Russian Defense Ministry officials.

Washington has offered to help fund the withdrawal of Russia’s military bases from Georgia.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Lynn Pascoe, who visited Tbilisi on January 13, said referring to U.S. funding for the removal of the Russian troops from Vaziani base, which is near Tbilisi, in 2000, “we have done this in the past and we would be happy to provide some assistance.”

Pascoe said Washington wants Russia, as a member of the OSCE, to honor its commitments, undertaken at the 1999 OSCE Istanbul summit, to withdraw military forces from areas “they are not wanted.”

Russia insists that at least 10 years are needed to pull out from the military bases in Batumi, Adjara Autonomous Republic and Akhalkalaki in southern Georgia. While the Georgian side demands three years for the Russian troops’ withdrawal.

In an interview to Time Georgian President-elect Mikheil Saakashvili said that the Russia’s intentions to keep its military bases in Georgia for 10 years “serve more to bolster imperial self-confidence than Russian security.”

“We can find other things that serve Russian security better than these 2,000 troops. The Russians have interests like safeguarding their southern borders, making them terrorist-proof. We have the same interests,” Saakashvili said. 

Moscow warned Tbilisi on January 13 that any provocations against Russian bases and nationals in Georgia could have “far-reaching consequences.”