Russian Official: Moscow to Offer New Proposals over Military Bases

Igor Savolsky, the Russian Foreign Ministry?s envoy, who will lead the Russian side during the March 23-25 talks in Moscow, said in the interview with news agency Interfax that Moscow will make new proposals regarding the pullout of Russian military bases from Georgia. 
 
?These [proposals], we think, completely take into consideration the interests of the Georgian side. But unveiling details of these proposals ? before talks are underway ? would be inappropriate,? Igor Savolsky said.

He said that these new proposals of Moscow are fully in line with Georgia’s interests expressed during the talks between President Mikheil Saakashvili and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Lavrov in Tbilisi in February.

The Russian Foreign Ministry?s envoy also commented on the proposal to set up a joint Russo-Georgian anti-terrorist center in Georgia. ?We are offering to set up this center by using part of the infrastructure which is currently available [because of] the Russian military bases. [The Russian side is also offering that] these center start functioning before the removal of Russian bases from the Georgian territory,? Savolsky said.

But the Georgian side fears that Russia?s proposal over a joint anti-terrorism center is an attempt by Moscow ?to rename? its military bases ‘anti-terrorism centers.’

However, Igor Savolsky said ?this kind of [anti-terrorism] center has nothing common with the military bases.?

Russian chief negotiator also denied the linkage between the talks on the bases and the framework agreement with Georgia. Earlier, Russia has insisted that agreement on the bases is a precondition for signing a framework agreement. Russia also argued for inclusion of the clause in the framework agreement that would bind Georgia not to station foreign military bases on its soil following the Russian withdrawal.

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