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DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 24, 2005, Wednesday
VISA CUL-DE-SAC
SOURCE: Krasnaya Zvezda, No 151, August 20, 2005, p. 3
by Oleg Gorupai
TBILISI DENIES RUSSIAN SERVICEMEN VISAS
Visas become more and more of a problem for servicemen of the Russian
Army Group in the Caucasus with each passing day. Military bases (the
12th in Batumi and 62nd in Akhalkalaki) are more than 50% under
complement. Unless urgent measures are taken, a critical situation
will arise with availability of low-rank officers of the platoon,
company, and battalion (battery) levels. Officers drafted into the
Armed Forces for two years after military departments in civilian
colleges and universities have served their army stint. Almost 350
officers like that are to be retired from the Army (from the Russian
Army Group in the Caucasus, that is) by the end of the year. They are
supposed to be replaced with new graduates from civilian colleges and
universities. Russian Embassy in Georgia submitted appropriate
documents for 96 replacements well in advance.
The Georgian authorities, however, deny servicemen of the Russian
Army Group in the Caucasus both one-time and multiple entry and exit
visas. Their motives are impeccable: there will be no visas for the
Russian military before the official signing of the accord on
withdrawal of the Russian bases from Georgia. Exceptions are made
only for the servicemen directly involved in withdrawal of the
military hardware and not all of them at that.
Almost 197 graduates from civilian colleges and universities have
already come to the 102nd Military Base of the Russian Army Group in
the Caucasus quartered in Armenia. All of them were put up in
barracks, all of them are eager to serve in the Russian army. Some of
them will undergo a three-week refresher course, others two-month
courses. And what then?
The visa situation being what it is, command of the Russian Army
Group in the Caucasus is left to its own devices. After two months of
kicking their heels in Armenia, the unemployed officers are offered
vacancies in Armenia. The rest will be assigned to the 12th and 62nd
bases in Georgia but remain in Armenia pending solution to the
problem of visas.
There can be no doubts that the command of the Russian Army Group in
the Caucasus and 102nd Base will find something to do for the
officers but that is hardly a solution as far as bases in Georgia are
concerned. They need officers - at least in order to withdraw from Georgia.
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 24, 2005, Wednesday
VISA CUL-DE-SAC
SOURCE: Krasnaya Zvezda, No 151, August 20, 2005, p. 3
by Oleg Gorupai
TBILISI DENIES RUSSIAN SERVICEMEN VISAS
Visas become more and more of a problem for servicemen of the Russian
Army Group in the Caucasus with each passing day. Military bases (the
12th in Batumi and 62nd in Akhalkalaki) are more than 50% under
complement. Unless urgent measures are taken, a critical situation
will arise with availability of low-rank officers of the platoon,
company, and battalion (battery) levels. Officers drafted into the
Armed Forces for two years after military departments in civilian
colleges and universities have served their army stint. Almost 350
officers like that are to be retired from the Army (from the Russian
Army Group in the Caucasus, that is) by the end of the year. They are
supposed to be replaced with new graduates from civilian colleges and
universities. Russian Embassy in Georgia submitted appropriate
documents for 96 replacements well in advance.
The Georgian authorities, however, deny servicemen of the Russian
Army Group in the Caucasus both one-time and multiple entry and exit
visas. Their motives are impeccable: there will be no visas for the
Russian military before the official signing of the accord on
withdrawal of the Russian bases from Georgia. Exceptions are made
only for the servicemen directly involved in withdrawal of the
military hardware and not all of them at that.
Almost 197 graduates from civilian colleges and universities have
already come to the 102nd Military Base of the Russian Army Group in
the Caucasus quartered in Armenia. All of them were put up in
barracks, all of them are eager to serve in the Russian army. Some of
them will undergo a three-week refresher course, others two-month
courses. And what then?
The visa situation being what it is, command of the Russian Army
Group in the Caucasus is left to its own devices. After two months of
kicking their heels in Armenia, the unemployed officers are offered
vacancies in Armenia. The rest will be assigned to the 12th and 62nd
bases in Georgia but remain in Armenia pending solution to the
problem of visas.
There can be no doubts that the command of the Russian Army Group in
the Caucasus and 102nd Base will find something to do for the
officers but that is hardly a solution as far as bases in Georgia are
concerned. They need officers - at least in order to withdraw from Georgia.