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FOURTH MILITARY CONVOY LEAVES RUSSIAN BASE IN GEORGIA
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 4 2007
MOSCOW, May 4 (RIA Novosti) - The fourth military convoy left a
Russian military base in Georgia Friday as part of a 2006 deal on the
withdrawal of Russian military bases from the South Caucasus country.
The military convoy, consisting of nine trucks escorted by Georgian
military police, left the Akhalkalaki base in the south of the
country heading for Gyumri in neighboring Armenia, where Russia
retains Military Base 102.
The start of railway transfers is scheduled for mid-May.
The Akhalkalaki base located in a region populated largely by ethnic
Armenians is to be completely evacuated before the end of the year,
while the base in the Black Sea port of Batumi is to close by the
end of 2008.
Russia completed the withdrawal of its military garrison from the
Georgian capital, Tbilisi, handing over control of its headquarters
to Georgia's Defense Ministry, last December.
Thirteen of the garrison's 387 personnel will remain in Georgia
overseeing the withdrawal of Russia's two Soviet-era bases.
Georgia's Western-leaning leadership, which is seeking to join NATO, is
uneasy about Russia's continued military presence, and has repeatedly
urged Moscow to close its Soviet-era bases.
All in all, Russia has agreed to dispatch five truck convoys and 10
trains to withdraw the remaining equipment from the Akhalkalaki base
by the yearend.
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 4 2007
MOSCOW, May 4 (RIA Novosti) - The fourth military convoy left a
Russian military base in Georgia Friday as part of a 2006 deal on the
withdrawal of Russian military bases from the South Caucasus country.
The military convoy, consisting of nine trucks escorted by Georgian
military police, left the Akhalkalaki base in the south of the
country heading for Gyumri in neighboring Armenia, where Russia
retains Military Base 102.
The start of railway transfers is scheduled for mid-May.
The Akhalkalaki base located in a region populated largely by ethnic
Armenians is to be completely evacuated before the end of the year,
while the base in the Black Sea port of Batumi is to close by the
end of 2008.
Russia completed the withdrawal of its military garrison from the
Georgian capital, Tbilisi, handing over control of its headquarters
to Georgia's Defense Ministry, last December.
Thirteen of the garrison's 387 personnel will remain in Georgia
overseeing the withdrawal of Russia's two Soviet-era bases.
Georgia's Western-leaning leadership, which is seeking to join NATO, is
uneasy about Russia's continued military presence, and has repeatedly
urged Moscow to close its Soviet-era bases.
All in all, Russia has agreed to dispatch five truck convoys and 10
trains to withdraw the remaining equipment from the Akhalkalaki base
by the yearend.