RUSSIAN MILITARY SHOULD STAY IN CIS STATES, SENIOR MP SAYS

Interfax-AVN military news agency web site
28 Apr 04

MOSCOW

National security interests require the preservation of Russian
military units in various CIS regions, primarily in Georgia and
Moldova, Viktor Zavarzin, the chairman of the State Duma defence
committee, said on Wednesday (28 April).

“The situation is the most complicated in Dniester region and
Georgia. The obligations regarding Georgia and Moldova, which Russia
assumed at the Istanbul summit in 1999, provide for withdrawing
Russian bases from these countries. However, objective interests
require the preservation of our military presence, primarily in order
to maintain a stable political situation in the region,” Zavarzin told
Interfax-Military News Agency.

“The latest development such as addition of the Baltic states to NATO
and the passing of legal documents allowing quick access of the
alliance’s armed forces to Ukrainian territory only prove this
necessity,” the lawmaker said.

Any legal initiatives in this field “must be discussed with the
Russian ministries of foreign affairs and defence”, he said. “This
workstream is the most important one under current circumstances,” he
noted.

Zavarzin recalled that Russian military units are currently stationed
in Georgia, Moldova (Dniester region), Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan.

“Various forces are against our military presence in nearly all these
countries to a certain degree. I am speaking about both global centres
such as the USA and NATO, and regional political groups dependent on
them,” he said.

Meanwhile, “Russia has a lot of diplomatic, economic, military and
legislative factors that help exercise pressure on these centres and
groups”, he added.
From: Baghdasarian