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  • Moving Out

    Agency WPS
    What the Papers Say. Part B (Russia)
    April 27, 2005, Wednesday

    MOVING OUT

    SOURCE: Izvestia, April 27, 2005, p. 1 EV

    by Dmitri Litovkin, Natalia Ratiani


    "We have reached an agreement that withdrawal of Russian military
    bases will take place gradually, and may be launched by the end of
    this year," said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday after talks
    with Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili. The start of
    2008 has been set as the deadline for withdrawal. Simultaneously, a
    joint counter-terrorism center will be set up; it will use the
    infrastructure of a Russian base.

    Russia has declared its intention two days after presidents of
    Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Azerbaijan called OSCE member nations
    to apply its utmost effort so that Russia fulfilled its commitments
    on withdrawal of troops and arms from Georgia and Moldova in
    Chisinau.

    Not all problems linked to the withdrawal have been settled. However,
    Lavrov's statement means that Russian military bases in Georgia must
    move into withdrawal mode. The military hardware, other assets, and
    personnel are allowed to be there for withdrawal; nothing new can be
    brought in, and no personnel rotations will be possible either.

    For instance, the new commander of the Russian Group of Forces in the
    Caucasus was forced to be in command of the grouping from Armenia
    after an entry visa to Georgia wasn't issued in his name. According
    to experts, the majority of Russian military hardware from Armenia
    will be relocated to Armenia.

    Withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia was among the most
    urgent problems in Moscow-Tbilisi relations. Washington took an
    active part in the problem insisting that Russia must carry out its
    commitments under the Istanbul Agreement of 1999 as soon as possible.
    However, Washington has "forgotten" for some reason that Moscow had
    executed those commitments ahead of schedule - by withdrawing the
    heavy military hardware from the territory of Georgia by January 31,
    2000. Russia shut down its Vaziani and Gudauta bases by July 1, 2001,
    which OSCE inspectors could be observing. As for the 12th Military
    Base stationed in Batumi and the 62nd Military Base of Akhalkalaki,
    under the Istanbul Agreement Georgia and Russia should have agreed
    the withdrawal terms reciprocally. They've almost reached an
    agreement, very symbolically: by the May 9 celebrations, which the US
    president will attend and before the summit of CIS presidents in
    Moscow.

    Until recently, Russia linked the problem of the withdrawal to the
    payment issues (according to Sergei Ivanov's calculations, something
    about $500 million required to set up new bases in Russia) and quite
    long withdrawal terms: either seven or three years, but only starting
    from 2008. Georgia objected to the amount of pay and the long period
    of withdrawal. Moscow was uncompromising in its standing. "No
    situation will be reiterated with withdrawal of the Soviet Army from
    Germany, when divisions with the military hardware, ammunition,
    soldiers, officers and their families were thrown out into a clear
    field," Ivanov promised. Zourabichvili confirmed in Moscow on Monday
    that Georgia is ready to finance withdrawal of the military hardware
    and the personnel, but until its own border. The very same day Prime
    Minister Zurab Noghaideli of Georgia confirmed that jointly with
    Russia Georgia "is ready to seek potential sources of funding for
    withdrawal of the bases." The USA, the EU and possibly the OSCE could
    be used as such.

    In the event that talks on the bases failed, Tbilisi had worked out a
    plan under which the Russian bases should be declared illegal. The
    Georgian security structures intended to set up tight control over
    the Batumi and Akhalkalaki bases (some 2,500 servicemen) and prohibit
    the Russian military to travel the republic. Georgia also intended to
    ban the Russian military from conducting war games on its territory.
    But a miracle has happened - Moscow has surrendered, quietly and
    without a fight.

    Translated by Andrei Ryabochkin
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