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RUSSIAN FORCES BEGIN WITHDRAWAL FROM GEORGIA, DIG HEELS IN MOLDOVA
by Vladimir Socor
Eurasia Daily Monitor -- The Jamestown Foundation
Monday, August 1, 2005 -- Volume 2, Issue 148
Presented with flowers and Georgian champagne by demonstrators
cheering the withdrawal, Russian soldiers set out from the Batumi base
at dawn on July 30 in a convoy bound for Russia. The move marks the
beginning of Russia's implementation of the agreement, signed May 30 by
Ministers of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov and Salome Zourabichvili,
on the closure of three Russian bases and the complete withdrawal of
their garrisons from Georgia by 2008.
The convoy of nine wheeled armored vehicles crossed Georgia's entire
territory from west to east, proceeding via Mtskheta, Tskhinvali,
and the Roki Tunnel, en route to Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia. The
decrepit vehicles moved slowly and had to pause along the way for
emergency repairs before reaching Russian territory on August 1.
On July 28, a convoy of four armored vehicles and four
anti-chemical-biological-radiological defense vehicles left Russia's
base at Akhalkalaki in Georgia, as part of a scheduled relocation of
some of the weaponry from Akhalkalaki to the Russian base at Gyumri
in Armenia. Georgian border guards near Ninotsminda briefly stopped
that convoy when they found five unlisted machine-guns and five signal
guns during inspection of the vehicles. The episode demonstrated the
Georgian border guards' effectiveness in carrying out the mutually
agreed inspection procedure. The incident was quickly resolved and
the convoy allowed to proceed.
During the month of August, more Russian equipment is scheduled to
be moved from the Batumi and Akhalkalaki bases, partly to Russia and
partly to Armenia. Two amphibious ships will evacuate the largest
convoy, consisting of 40 armored vehicles and including 20 battle
tanks, from Batumi to Russia.
The Russian military has asked Georgia to repair or reinforce five
bridges on the road from the Akhalkalaki base to Akhaltsikhe, so as
to make possible the movement of a planned convoy of Russian heavy
vehicles. >>From Akhaltsikhe, the convoy would travel to Batumi by
rail, then to Russia by sea.
Headed by Lt.-General Valery Yevnevich, deputy commander in chief
of Russia's Ground Forces, an ad-hoc staff of Russian officers has
arrived at the Tbilisi headquarters of the Group of Russian Forces
in the Transcaucasus to supervise the withdrawal of equipment
and troops. Some transit issues of political and technical nature
are yet to be resolved, however, between the Georgian and Russian
governments. Talks held on July 25-26 in Moscow did not conclusively
settle these issues.
In a specially convened briefing on July 29, Zourabichvili welcomed
Russia's political decision on withdrawal of its forces from Georgia
and the beginning of the agreement's implementation. By signing the
agreement, Zourabichvili noted, Russia has undertaken an obligation
before Georgia and the entire international community to carry out the
withdrawal fully and on schedule (Rustavi-2 TV, Imedi TV, Interfax,
NTV Mir, Arminfo, July 28-31; see EDM, May 24, June 3).
In Moldova, however, Russia seems to be signaling that it has
no intention to withdraw its forces, despite its 1999 Istanbul
commitments to withdraw the forces from both Georgia and Moldova
unconditionally. On July 29, Russia's Defense Minister Sergei
Ivanov declared that Russian troops would not leave Moldova until
Russian arsenals there are relocated to Russia. At the same time,
Russia takes the position that the arsenals cannot be removed until
Chisinau agrees with Tiraspol on a political settlement. Charging
that the Moldovan leadership's calls for Russian troop withdrawal
"are aimed at damaging Russian-Moldovan relations," Ivanov scoffed,
"They can wish whatever they like. There is nothing wrong with wishing
something." (In the same news conference, Ivanov used an identical
phrase to dismiss NATO's proposal to extend Operation Active Endeavor
with Russian participation into the Black Sea.) (Interfax, Russian
Television Channel One, July 29).
In a July 30 statement, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs insists
that implementation of the "so-called Istanbul accords" is conditional
on a political resolution between Chisinau and Tiraspol "with the
assistance of Russia, Ukraine, and OSCE." Moscow's statement goes on to
criticize the Moldovan parliament's July 22 law on the basic principles
of a settlement (see EDM, July 26) for "hampering the efforts by
mediators from Russia, Ukraine, and OSCE." (Interfax, July 30). On
July 31, Russia's charge d'affaires in Chisinau, Yuri Mordvintsev,
portrayed Russia's military presence in Moldova as "responsibility
for peacekeeping" by Russia as a "guarantor country and mediator
country ... ready along with Ukraine and the OSCE to continue providing
assistance at the negotiating table for mutually acceptable solutions."
(RIA-Novosti, July 31). For its part, Moldova quit the Russian-created
"mediating" and "guaranteeing" system one year ago, and the July 22
law is designed to preclude any restoration of that system.
--Vladimir Socor
by Vladimir Socor
Eurasia Daily Monitor -- The Jamestown Foundation
Monday, August 1, 2005 -- Volume 2, Issue 148
Presented with flowers and Georgian champagne by demonstrators
cheering the withdrawal, Russian soldiers set out from the Batumi base
at dawn on July 30 in a convoy bound for Russia. The move marks the
beginning of Russia's implementation of the agreement, signed May 30 by
Ministers of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov and Salome Zourabichvili,
on the closure of three Russian bases and the complete withdrawal of
their garrisons from Georgia by 2008.
The convoy of nine wheeled armored vehicles crossed Georgia's entire
territory from west to east, proceeding via Mtskheta, Tskhinvali,
and the Roki Tunnel, en route to Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia. The
decrepit vehicles moved slowly and had to pause along the way for
emergency repairs before reaching Russian territory on August 1.
On July 28, a convoy of four armored vehicles and four
anti-chemical-biological-radiological defense vehicles left Russia's
base at Akhalkalaki in Georgia, as part of a scheduled relocation of
some of the weaponry from Akhalkalaki to the Russian base at Gyumri
in Armenia. Georgian border guards near Ninotsminda briefly stopped
that convoy when they found five unlisted machine-guns and five signal
guns during inspection of the vehicles. The episode demonstrated the
Georgian border guards' effectiveness in carrying out the mutually
agreed inspection procedure. The incident was quickly resolved and
the convoy allowed to proceed.
During the month of August, more Russian equipment is scheduled to
be moved from the Batumi and Akhalkalaki bases, partly to Russia and
partly to Armenia. Two amphibious ships will evacuate the largest
convoy, consisting of 40 armored vehicles and including 20 battle
tanks, from Batumi to Russia.
The Russian military has asked Georgia to repair or reinforce five
bridges on the road from the Akhalkalaki base to Akhaltsikhe, so as
to make possible the movement of a planned convoy of Russian heavy
vehicles. >>From Akhaltsikhe, the convoy would travel to Batumi by
rail, then to Russia by sea.
Headed by Lt.-General Valery Yevnevich, deputy commander in chief
of Russia's Ground Forces, an ad-hoc staff of Russian officers has
arrived at the Tbilisi headquarters of the Group of Russian Forces
in the Transcaucasus to supervise the withdrawal of equipment
and troops. Some transit issues of political and technical nature
are yet to be resolved, however, between the Georgian and Russian
governments. Talks held on July 25-26 in Moscow did not conclusively
settle these issues.
In a specially convened briefing on July 29, Zourabichvili welcomed
Russia's political decision on withdrawal of its forces from Georgia
and the beginning of the agreement's implementation. By signing the
agreement, Zourabichvili noted, Russia has undertaken an obligation
before Georgia and the entire international community to carry out the
withdrawal fully and on schedule (Rustavi-2 TV, Imedi TV, Interfax,
NTV Mir, Arminfo, July 28-31; see EDM, May 24, June 3).
In Moldova, however, Russia seems to be signaling that it has
no intention to withdraw its forces, despite its 1999 Istanbul
commitments to withdraw the forces from both Georgia and Moldova
unconditionally. On July 29, Russia's Defense Minister Sergei
Ivanov declared that Russian troops would not leave Moldova until
Russian arsenals there are relocated to Russia. At the same time,
Russia takes the position that the arsenals cannot be removed until
Chisinau agrees with Tiraspol on a political settlement. Charging
that the Moldovan leadership's calls for Russian troop withdrawal
"are aimed at damaging Russian-Moldovan relations," Ivanov scoffed,
"They can wish whatever they like. There is nothing wrong with wishing
something." (In the same news conference, Ivanov used an identical
phrase to dismiss NATO's proposal to extend Operation Active Endeavor
with Russian participation into the Black Sea.) (Interfax, Russian
Television Channel One, July 29).
In a July 30 statement, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs insists
that implementation of the "so-called Istanbul accords" is conditional
on a political resolution between Chisinau and Tiraspol "with the
assistance of Russia, Ukraine, and OSCE." Moscow's statement goes on to
criticize the Moldovan parliament's July 22 law on the basic principles
of a settlement (see EDM, July 26) for "hampering the efforts by
mediators from Russia, Ukraine, and OSCE." (Interfax, July 30). On
July 31, Russia's charge d'affaires in Chisinau, Yuri Mordvintsev,
portrayed Russia's military presence in Moldova as "responsibility
for peacekeeping" by Russia as a "guarantor country and mediator
country ... ready along with Ukraine and the OSCE to continue providing
assistance at the negotiating table for mutually acceptable solutions."
(RIA-Novosti, July 31). For its part, Moldova quit the Russian-created
"mediating" and "guaranteeing" system one year ago, and the July 22
law is designed to preclude any restoration of that system.
--Vladimir Socor