Georgia rejects Russian demand for compensation over Soviet-era base closures
By MISHA DZHINDZHIKHASHVILII

The Associated Press
04/05/05 11:17 EDT

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) – Georgia on Tuesday flatly rejected Russian
demands that it pay several hundred million dollars (euros) in
compensation for Moscow withdrawing from two Soviet-era military
bases in the Caucasus country.

Already strained relations between the two former Soviet republics
soured further Tuesday when Moscow protested Tbilisi’s refusal to
allow a Russian radar plane into its airspace, saying it violated
Georgia’s commitments under a regional air defense system.

“Georgia has no intention of paying any form of compensation for the
withdrawal of the Russian military bases,” Georgian Prime Minister
Zurab Nogaideli told reporters.

Georgia, where a pro-West leadership took power last year, is keen
to assert its independence and has been pushing Moscow to hand back
the bases within two years.

Russia has said it needs at least three years, perhaps even a decade,
to complete the pullout and is also demanding compensation. Russian
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said last month the cost of withdrawing
would be as much as US$300 million (euro234 million).

The head of Russia’s main air force headquarters, Col. Gen. Boris
Cheltsov, complained that Georgia had refused permission for a flight
by a Russian radar plane through its territory.

“Unfortunately, we wanted to fly it to Armenia but the Georgians
wouldn’t let us through their airspace,” Cheltsov said in remarks
broadcast on Russian state television.

The aircraft was to have performed reconnaissance missions during
maneuvers by the CIS, or Commonwealth of Independent States, joint
air defense system.

Russian observers have said that Moscow is concerned that pulling out
all its forces from Georgia could jeopardize its base in neighboring
Armenia, one of Moscow’s closest allies in the region. Armenia does
not share a border with Russia, and all Russian equipment and personnel
have to transit Georgian territory to get there.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said later Tuesday that he
had approved the order barring the Russian plane from traveling to
Armenia. He also firmly reiterated Georgia’s position toward the
Russian bases.

“We are a country of laws…. We are not a ‘Land of Bandits’ in which
one or two people make decisions,” Saakashvili said. “We have had
civilized decisions with Russia on withdrawing the bases. We have
proposed that the bases … be withdrawn stage by stage. We have
offered various transit privileges.”