Parliament Discusses Resolution on Outlawing Russian Bases
On March 10 the Parliament of Georgia launched 10 discussion of a draft resolution envisaging declaring Russian military bases stationed in Georgia illegal.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security presented an amended version of the draft at the parliamentary session. The document sets January 1, 2006 as the deadline for the Russian bases’ withdrawal. This document also instructs the government to prepare measures which will enter into force if there is no progress in Russo-Georgian negotiations over a ?reasonable? timeframe for the withdrawal of the military bases before May 15, 2005, as opposed to May 1, as 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. The Parliament also instructs the Ministry of Environment ?to assess damage of ecology caused by functioning of the Russian military bases.?
