Zourabichvili: 2008 Acceptable for Russian Bases’ Closure

In an interview with Russian news agency Interfax Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili, who is currently visiting Moscow, said that Georgia will agree on January 1, 2008 as a deadline for the closure of the two Russian military bases stationed in Batumi and Akhalkalaki.

“Actually, the Georgian side will agree, if the Russian bases are closed by January 1, 2008, but only in the condition that this date is final,” Salome Zourabichvili said.

“More important for the Georgian side than the issue of a timeframe – although the timeframe is not less important[sic] – is an the agreement by the sides over all the elements of the withdrawal process,” she said, without any elaboration.

Sergey Mironov, the Chairman of the Council of Federation, the upper house of the Russian Parliament, said on April 22 in Tbilisi that Russia is ready to pull its military bases out of Batumi and Akhalkalaki gradually by January 1, 2009.

He also said that Russia has offered to pull out all the servicemen and military hardware from the Akhalkalaki military base by January 1, 2008. in regard of Batumi military base Russia offers to pull out its military hardware from there by January 1, 2008 and to completely close down the base in Batumi by January 1, 2009

“If we take into consideration the fact that a year ago the Russian side was talking about 11 years for these bases’ withdrawal, then this [new proposal] is clear progress,” Sergey Mironov said.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)