Russia to resume talks with Georgia on military bases
PLA Daily 2004-01-29
MOSCOW, Jan. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov promised Wednesday that Moscow would resume talks with Tbilisi on the withdrawal of its military bases in Georgia.
He said Russia's current commitment is to begin negotiations with the new Georgian government on the duration of the Russian military bases' presence and functions in the Caucasus nation, the Interfax news agency reported.
Ivanov's statement came after Sunday's inauguration of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and the following two-day visit by US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who called for Russia's withdrawal of troops from the former Soviet republic.
Ivanov pledged that "the moment a new Georgian government is formed, the talks will be resumed."
The minister noted that eight rounds of Russian-Georgian talks have been held on the issue and Russia has fulfilled a number of commitments prescribed by the 1999 Istanbul summit, including removing two military bases from Georgia, reducing arsenals of the two remaining bases and cutting several hundred pieces of weaponry.
Russia has maintained its troops in Georgia since the Soviet era. It has removed two military bases from the former Soviet republic under the 1999 Istanbul agreement reached with Georgia but has left two others in operation.
So far, the two Caucasus neighbors have not reached any agreement on the dates of the withdrawal of the remaining bases.
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