RUSSIA PLANNING TO TURN AKHALKALAK AND BATUMI BASES INTO ANTITERRORISM CENTERS

Azg/arm
19 Feb 05

In the course of his Georgian visit Russian foreign minister met
with President Mikheil Saakashvili, prime minister and speaker of the
parliament yesterday. According to BBC, the sides discussed signing a
framework agreement between Moscow and Tbilisi as well as withdrawal
of Russian military bases from Georgia â~@~Ys territory.

While Russia is hoping to turn Akhalkalakâ~@~Ys 62d and Batumiâ~@~Ys
12th bases into anti-terrorism center, Tbilisi urges to clear its
territories. “They (bases) cannot stay here in the next 7-8 years. In
coming two months we have to set a deadline for their withdrawal”,
speaker Nino Burjanadze said.

Foreign minister, Salome Zurabishvili, said in her turn: “We want
concrete results other than on paper”. She noted that President
Saakashvili will meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on May 9.

–Boundary_(ID_BD+KeQztawP/VQk71Lweqw)–