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TBILISI WANTS INTERNATIONAL MILITARY COOPERATION

RIA Novosti

TBILISI, February 11 (RIA Novosti) - Tbilisi will not agree that the framework treaty with Russia limited Georgia's military cooperation with other countries, according to Chairwoman of the Georgian Parliament Nino Burdzhanadze, who commented on the prolonged treaty process between the two countries in an interview with RIA Novosti.

"Only two articles remain in the treaty that need to be coordinated. They are: strategic partnership and the possibility to cooperate in the military sphere with third countries," she said.

Ms. Burdzhanadze noted that Georgia does not intend to use its territory against Russia. "However, we shall not conclude such a bilateral treaty in which Russia could prohibit Georgian military cooperation with other countries, even exclusively for peaceful purposes," Ms. Burdzhanadze said.

The coordination of disputable articles would only be possible if Russia can understand that Georgia is a sovereign state and has the right to choose its future independently.

Ms. Burdzhanadze expressed her surprise that "the Russian side for some reason has been trying all this time to include the problems concerning Abkhazia, South Ossetia and now even the Meskhetian Turks in the bilateral treaty. This is, of course, absolutely unacceptable for us." She said that "Abkhazia and South Ossetia are an internal matter for Georgia and the international community, but not a question for the bilateral treaty."

At the same time Ms. Burdzhanadze underscored that despite some difficulties in concluding the treaty, she remains positive.

Commenting on the process of drafting the treaty, she noted "it was the Russian side that did not ratify the first framework treaty between Russia and Georgia, while the Georgian Parliament ratified the document in December 1995." She regretted that the State Duma did not ratify that treaty.

Yesterday, at their session in Tbilisi, the Georgian and Russian state commissions for drafting treatyframework on friendship and cooperation between the two countries failed to come to a common conclusion.

"The negotiations have reached a deadlock," the head of the Georgian delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze, told reporters.

The head of the Russian delegation, Ambassador at Large Igor Savolsky said that the sides had "decided not to discuss their problems in public in order to not harden the positions of each other."

The Georgian TV company Rustavi-2 reported that in the course of the negotiations, the Russian side insisted on including an article in the treaty that in case of the withdrawal of Russian military bases from the Georgian territory, the bases of another foreign state will not appear in their place. Though the Georgian representatives have confirmed that foreign bases will not be deployed to their country, they refused to include this provision in the treaty on the ground that such a document is not intended for those particular details.