Russian lawmaker urges retaliation against Georgia in base dispute

Associated Press Worldstream
March 11, 2005 Friday 6:19 AM Eastern Time

MOSCOW,

A Russian lawmaker on Friday called for retaliation against Georgia
if the former Soviet republic tries to force the closure of the two
remaining Russian military bases in the Caucasus Mountains country.

Georgian lawmakers voted Thursday to call on their government to set
an ultimatum to agree on a timetable for the bases’ closure by May 15.

The non-binding motion said that if Moscow does not comply, the Batumi
and Akhalkalaki bases should be forced out by Georgia refusing to
issue visas to Russian military personnel and limiting the movement
of troops, vehicles and equipment in the country.

Russian lawmaker Konstantin Zatulin told the Russian daily Nezavisimaya
Gazeta that Moscow should raise its prices for gas and oil deliveries
to Georgia in retaliation.

“If our military are refused visas or are the target of provocation,
then I don’t see any reason to continue to supply Georgia with energy
at prices far below world levels,” Zatulin said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Georgia’s parliament of sabotaging
negotiations over the bases’ future.

The parliamentary resolution raised the stakes in a long-simmering
dispute between the two countries, which according to Russia’s
Kommersant daily is connected to Russian fears that its military
presence in neighboring Armenia could be at risk if it pulls out
of Georgia.

Armenia, Moscow’s closest ally in the Caucasus, does not border on
Russia, which needs to transit Georgian territory to move its troops
and equipment to its Armenian military base.

“The problem of the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Georgia
is not just a bitter spat about the timetable for the pullout and
compensation. This dispute has much more serious ramifications. It
is about Russia hanging onto or losing its presence and influence in
the Transcaucasus,” Kommersant said in an opinion column.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said the
Georgian lawmakers were only making the negotiating process more
difficult.

“When active contacts are underway and when both the Russian and
Georgian sides are preparing concrete proposals, we believe that
discussing this question and legislative bodies raising this issue
is counterproductive and will hinder the talks,” he told reporters.