Parliament to Discuss Resolution Against Russian Bases Today

Despite Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze?s opposition, members of the Georgian Parliament will discuss, at a Parliamentary session March 9, a draft resolution that would declare the Russian military bases stationed in Georgia illegal.

This decision to discuss the draft was made at a meeting between the parliamentarians from the ruling National Movement party, which was held behind closed doors on March 9. Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili also attended this meeting.

?It would have been better if the discussion of the resolution had been postponed,? Salome Zourabichvili told reporters.

Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said at the parliamentary session earlier on March 9 that the endorsement of a this draft resolution would be inappropriate at this moment. Burjanadze also said that according to the agreement reached with the Russian side, Moscow should outline concrete proposals over the timeframe and terms of pullout for these bases by May 1.

?If the Russian side fails to meet its commitment, we will return to the draft resolution and demand unconditional pullout of the bases,? the Parliamentary Chairperson said on March 9.
 
Minor amendments will be made in the final version of the draft resolution. According to the draft, the Georgian government will prepare measures which will enter force if there is no progress in Russo-Georgian negotiations on a ?reasonable? timeframe for the withdrawal of the military bases before May 15, 2005, instead of May 1, as it was envisaged by the initial version of the draft resolution.

These measures include halting of issuing entry visas to Russian military servicemen and assessment of the total debt for the functioning of the bases, which according to preliminary calculations totals up to USD 300 million.