Tbilisi Hopes for Foreign Aid to Finance Bases Withdrawal

Georgian Finance Minister Valerie Chechelashvili said on June 1 that the Georgia?s 2005 budget does not envisage allocation of funds to cover part of the expanses for withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia.

He told reporters that the United States has expressed readiness to provide reasonable financial assistance. ?We will continue to work in this direction,? the Finance Minister added.

According to the joint declaration of Russian and Georgian Foreign Ministers signed in Moscow on May 30, outlining the process of withdrawal of bases, the two sides agreed to cooperate in an attempt to raise additional funds to cover transportation expenses.

According to the Georgian Finance Ministry it is yet unknown how much will be needed to cover these expenses.

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