Georgia, Russia Sign Military Transit, Base Pullout Treaties

Georgia and Russia signed agreements on March 31 on the timeframe, modalities of functioning, rules and withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Georgia and on the transit of Russian military personnel and cargo via Georgia, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported.

The two agreements were signed in the Russia’s Black Sea resort town of Sochi by Georgian First Deputy Defense Minister Mamuka Kudava and Commander of the Russian Land Forces Alexey Maslov.

The agreement related to the Russian bases regulates technical details of the withdrawal of the Akhalkalaki and Batumi military bases and other military facilities from the territory of Georgia. The agreement is based on a joint declaration signed between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and ex-Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili in May, 2005 and envisages withdrawal of Russian bases in a course of 2008.

According to the agreement on bases pullout, the Georgian and Russian sides agreed “at the earliest possible time” to finalize the Agreement on creation and functioning of the Georgian-Russian Antiterrorist Centre. “The agreed part of the personnel, material-technical resources and infrastructure of the Russian military base in Batumi shall be used for the benefit of the aforesaid Centre,” the agreement reads.

Another agreement on transit of military personnel and cargo will enable Russia to gain access to its military base in Gyumri, Armenia via Georgia.