Russian Military Official: Visa Row May Hinder Withdrawal of Bases

Georgia’s current visa policy towards the Russian servicemen stationed in the country will hinder the withdrawal process of the Russian military bases in Georgia, Commander of the Headquarters of the Russian Troops in the Trans Caucasus (GRVZ) Andrey Papov said in an interview with RIA Novosti news agency on February 28.

He said that the Georgian side’s statement that Tbilisi began issuing visas to the Russian servicemen February 20 “is only partially true.” Problems related to granting visas to the Russian servicemen was the main reason cited by the Russian Embassy when it stopped issuing Russian visas to Georgian citizens on February 21.

“[The Georgian side] has launched the issuing of single entry visas which are valid on the Georgian territory. Previously, before March, 2005, the Russian servicemen were granted one-year, multiple-entry visas. Now [if a Russian serviceman] crosses the border [he] loses the right to cross the border on in the opposite direction [into Georgia]. This kind of visa policy will not ease the process of withdrawal of the Russian military bases from the Georgian territory, on the contrary, it will make it more difficult,” Papov said.

He said that he has already notified Russian Ambassador to Georgia Vladimir Chkhikvishvili that “GRVZ is refusing this kind of visa requirement” and is demanding that multiple-entry visas be issued to the servicemen.

“If one-year single entry visas are issued than not only the servicemen but their family members will be restricted in their right of free movement. If this continues we will have to announce that we are not able to follow our commitments regarding the withdrawal process in 2006,” the Russian military officials said.

He said that according to schedule, the number of military equipment that Russia should withdraw from the 62nd military base in Akhalkalaki in 2006 totals 360 different items.

“We should finish the withdrawal of the Akhalkalaki military base in 2007; the Batumi military base – in the course of 2008. I have an order, which I should implement. But if a similar situation [with visas] continues, I will have to request that the leadership in the Russian Ministry of Defense prolong the terms for the withdrawal of the bases,” Andrey Papov said.
 
He also said that single-entry visas are acceptable for those servicemen who are local residents, but have Russian citizenship. “Only 30% of the servicemen fit this category among the Russian troops in Georgia,” Andrey Papov added.

He also said that currently, a total of 1,820 servicemen and their family members have no Georgian visas. “This is about 90% of the total number of Russian soldiers serving at the Russian military bases in Georgia,” Papov said, adding that their visas expired in 2004-2005.

He also expressed concern regarding the warning voiced by Chief of the Georgian Military Police Alexandre Sukhitashvili, who, according to Papov, said that the Georgian side will arrest those Russian servicemen who do not have Georgian visas after March 10.

“Currently about 40-50 visas are being issued daily, but only 10 days are left before March 10,” he sad.

Papov said that if the Georgian side enforces this deadline, Russia should take “adequate measures” to respond.

“These measures can be of any kind – political, economical, diplomatic. If our citizens are arrested in Georgia, measures should become severe in respect to Georgian citizens in Russia… It seems that, unfortunately, there are no other tools. We need protection,” the Headquarters of the Russian Troops in the Trans Caucasus said.