Zourabichvili to Visit Moscow to Finalize Accord on Bases

Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili will travel to Moscow on May 6 to negotiate with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov over the details of a handshake agreement which was reached during a meeting between the two Ministers, held last month, regarding the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia.

Zourabichvili said in an interview with Rustavi 2 television on May 5 that she also has to find out whether the statement by the Russian Defense Minister that Moscow will need at least four years for pullout ?is an official position of Russia or not.?

?Because it [four-year timeframe] was not the one agreed by us [Zourabichvili and Lavrov in Moscow on April 25],? the Georgian Foreign Minister said.

The handshake agreement between Zourabichvili and Lavrov envisages that Russia will start pulling out its bases from Batumi and Akhalkalaki in 2005 and finish the process by January 1, 2008.

Zourabichvili said in an interview with the Georgian television station that this agreement needs to be finalized in a formal treaty. ?I am going to Moscow to agree on the details of the text [of the agreement]? because we do not need surprises,? she added.

She said that in the event that a final agreement is reached President Saakashvili will visit Moscow on May 8-9 and sign the document together with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. ?But if there is no progress, there will be no need for a visit by the [Georgian] President [to Moscow],? Salome Zourabichvili stated.

She also stressed that the finalized agreement should outline in detail the entire process of withdrawal, ?as we do not need misunderstandings.?

The Georgian Foreign Minister said that closure of Russian bases by the end of 2007 is of vital importance for Georgia, as 2008 and 2009 are the years of parliamentary and presidential elections in Georgia respectively.

?It is clear that the issue of Russian military bases should not become a part of our [Georgian] election campaign,? Salome Zourabichvili said.

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