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TV Reports Russian Troops Pullout From Georgia

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  • TV Reports Russian Troops Pullout From Georgia

    TV REPORTS RUSSIAN TROOPS PULLOUT FROM GEORGIA

    NTV Mir, Moscow
    15 May 06

    Excerpt from report by Russian external TV service NTV Mir "Segodnya"
    news on 15 May.

    [Presenter] The first echelon with Russian hardware has left the
    Akhalkalaki base. The military hopes that this train as well as all
    the subsequent ones will not have problems while travelling across
    Georgia. The first echelon left three hours ago. The Russian and
    Georgian defence ministers have agreed to close down the base and it
    has to be closed down completely by the end of 2007. Our correspondent
    Vadim Fefilov was watching the withdrawal of the first consignment of
    Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers and reconnaissance patrol
    vehicles from the Georgian territory.

    [Video shows troops leaving] [Correspondent] Lt-Gen [Valeriy]
    Yevnevich makes a short report by satellite telephone to his bosses
    in Moscow and the first echelon with Russian hardware pulls out of
    the Ahkalkalaki base to make its way across Georgia and Azerbaijan to
    Russia. Russian servicemen, just as they had promised to the Georgian
    side, have managed to move tanks, combat reconnaissance vehicles,
    ammunition and missiles from Akhalkalaki to the railway station of
    Tsalka. That was not simple.

    [Passage omitted: they had to move along difficult routes in the
    mountains at an altitude of 2,500 metres; but the vehicles are in
    good order because soldiers are really professional; everything is
    proceeding without problems so far.]

    [Correspondent, continues] It has transpired that Armenia has feared
    that some of the Russian equipment may be left in Azerbaijan for some
    reason. Azerbaijan's military attache are telling their Armenian
    colleagues that there is nothing to worry about.

    [Passage omitted: Russia and Azerbaijan have agreed the equipment will
    not be stopped in Azerbaijan; locals around the base are primarily
    ethnic Armenians and they are now losing their jobs because of the
    withdrawal]

    [Correspondent, continuing] In line with earlier agreements between
    the Russian and Georgian defence ministers another 20 echelons with
    Russian heavy hardware will leave the area before the end of the year.

    [Passage omitted: the correspondent signs off]
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