Parliament Discusses Military Base, Transit Treaties with Russia

On April 13 the Georgian Parliament launched discussion of two agreements signed with Russia on March 31 – one on the transit of Russian military cargo and personnel via Georgia and another on the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia.

The parliamentary discussions, carried out in the absence of opposition parliamentarians, who are boycotting parliamentary sessions, will be followed by the ratification of these two agreements.

Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze, who presented these two agreements at the parliamentary session, said that although the agreement on base pullout must be ratified by both the Georgian and Russian Parliaments, these intrastate procedures cannot hinder the process of Russian military bases withdrawal, which should be completed by 2008.

Merab Antadze cited article 22 of the agreement “On Terms and Rules of Temporary Functioning and Withdrawal of the Russian Military Bases,” which reads: “the present Agreement shall be provisionally used from the date of its signing and shall enter into force upon the exchange of notifications on the fulfillment of necessary intrastate procedures by the Parties.”

“This provision, that the agreement “shall be provisionally used from the date of its signing” was included in the agreement after the Georgian side’s insistent demand in order to rule out the possibility of [the Russian side’s] dragging out the [withdrawal] process under the pretext that it is not ratified [by the Russian Parliament]. Hence, from a legal point of view even if this agreement is never ratified [by the Russian Parliament], Russia has an obligation to fulfill the provisions of the agreement,” Antadze told parliamentarians.

Another controversial issue regarding the agreement on bases pullout concerns the setting up of a joint Russian-Georgian anti-terrorist center in Batumi, which has been criticized by opposition parties.

The agreement reads: “the Parties, at the earliest possible time, shall complete the elaboration of the Agreement on the Foundation and Functioning of the Georgian-Russian Antiterrorist Centre and shall prepare it for signing. A previously agreed-upon 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 commitment to negotiate with Russia over this issue does not automatically mean the setting up of this anti-terrorist center… Talks on this issue will continue if Russia pushes it,” Antadze said and added that Russia has so far been “passive” over this issue.

Deputy Foreign Minister Antadze said while speaking about the agreement on military transit that the treaty gives Russia access to its military base in Gyumri, Armenia via Georgia.

“This agreement is mainly in the interest of our neighbors – Russia and Armenia, and was a compromise agreement and an expression of Georgia’s good will,” Antadze said.

“The Georgian side has the right to withdraw from the agreement within six months if Russia’s military transit poses certain threat to the Georgian side’s interests,” he added.