Georgia Awaits Moscow’s Response on Antiterrorism Center

Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said at a news conference on January 17, that Georgia has already sent proposals to Moscow over setting up a joint Russian-Georgian anti-terrorism center to replace Russian military bases in Georgia; however no response has been made from Moscow so far.

“The only response is that we are always told [by the Russian officials] that these proposals [of Georgia] are under the consideration,” Salome Zourabichvili said.

Last June, Georgia proposed setting up a joint anti-terrorism centers with Russia in exchange of withdrawal of the Russian military bases located in Batumi and Akhalkalaki.

She said that there are more statements containing “threatening tones” made by the Russian officials, rather than proposals over cooperation in fighting terrorism. Salome Zourabichvili was referring to the Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov’s statement that Moscow is ready to carry out pre-emptive strikes against the terrorist bases outside the Russian territory.

“And this kind of statements and accusations [over alleged presence of Chechen fighters in Georgian Pankisi gorge] are made on the eve of [Sergey] Lavrov’s [the Russian Foreign Minister] visit to Georgia [scheduled for February 18]. I don’t know, maybe certain forces are interested to thwart this visit,” Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said.

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