The Georgian Parliament approved, with a 158 to 0 vote, a resolution instructing the executive government to take measures against the Russian military bases currently stationed in Georgia if an agreement over a “reasonable” timeframe for their withdrawal is not reached with Russia before May 15, 2005. Earlier on the same day, a top-Russian official announced that Moscow will need at least three-four years for the pullout, as opposed to at least seven years as was insisted by the Russian side during talks in February. Russia’s softened position was described by the officials in Tbilisi as “a positive signal.”
The measures, which will be carried out by the government in case there is no progress in talks with the Russian side, include halting of issuing entry visas to Russian military servicemen; assessment of the total debt for the functioning of the bases and preparing an unspecified “special regime of movement” for the Russian servicemen, military hardware and cargo owned by the Russian military bases stationed in Georgia. The Parliament also instructs the Ministry of Environment “to assess the damage of ecology caused by the functioning of the Russian military bases.” The resolution sets January 1, 2006 as the deadline for the Russian bases complete withdrawal.
Influential MP Giga Bokeria from the ruling National Movement party, who is a co-author of the resolution, described approval of this document as “historic,” as this is a first time that the Georgian side has demonstrated its “categorical” position regarding the pullout of Russian bases.
Meanwhile, on March 10 the Russian news agency Interfax quoted chief of the Department for International Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Defense Col. Gen. Anatoly Mazurkevich as saying that Russia would need three-four years for withdrawal of its bases from Georgia.
“This is the official position of the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry and we are planning to adhere to it in the course of upcoming negotiations [with Georgia],” Col. Gen. Mazurkevich said.
This heralds a significant softening of the Russian position, as its original timeline was 11 years, while on the eve of failed consultations in February 2005 Russian officials spoke about the need for 7 years for withdrawal of its bases.
On the same day, an unnamed source from the Russian Defense Ministry also told RIA Novosti news agency that 3-4 years are needed to re-shape the Mountaineer Brigade of North Caucasus, where most of the servicemen currently stationed in Georgia would be relocated.
“The presence of our bases in Georgia forever is impossible. But we can not pull out our servicemen into ‘nowhere.’ We will go to the Caucasus, where Russia’s new Mountaineer Brigades will be established. Formation of these brigades will happen after three-four years,” the unnamed source in the Russian Defense Ministry, described by the RIA Novosti as “a top-level official,” said. He also said that the venue of deployment of these Mountaineer Brigades in Russia’s North Caucasus region is not defined yet.
Georgian President’s spokesman Gela Charkviani announced on March 10 that “positive signals” are coming from Russia regarding the military bases. “The Russian side is ready for a compromise – this is decisive,” said Charkviani while commenting on Russia’s softened position over the timeframe of bases’ withdrawal.
Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili, who is paying an official visit to Turkey, said on March 10 that Georgia’s efforts to solve bilateral problems with Russia, including the withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Georgia are at “a very fragile” stage.
Salome Zourabichvili, who was speaking with journalists in Ankara after talks with her Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, said that relations between Georgia and Russia are at “a very important turning point.”
“We have the support of Turkey on the question of the withdrawal of the (Russian) military bases… and we hope that we will make some progress on that question,” AFP reported quoting Zourabichvili as saying.
