ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 26, 2005 Tuesday 2:46 PM Eastern Time

Russian hasty pullout from Georgia may break fragile balance

MOSCOW

A hasty pullout of Russian military bases from Georgia “may break the
fragile balance in the explosive multinational region, where the
interests of several neighbors, West European and overseas countries
are intertwined, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee
Sergei Grigoryev told Itar-Tass on Tuesday referring to the results
of the Moscow negotiations between Russia and Georgia.

“A poorly considered decision on the quick withdrawal of our bases,
which have traditionally been a factor of stabilization in the
Armenian-populated area of Akhalkalaki and the Adzharian-populated
area of Batumi, has been made under the pressure of the Georgian
central authorities,” he said.

“Regardless rhetoric of the organizers of this ‘demilitarization’,
even the smallest vacuum of order and forces, which maintain the
order on the junction of various cultures, religions and
nationalities, may be used by various kinds of extremists for their
own ends, which are far from being peaceful,” he said.

The pullout will cost at least $300 million to the Russian Defense
Ministry, and Moscow “can hardly hope for an adequate compensation of
the infrastructure it leaves behind in Georgia,” he said.

“No matter what, another hasty relocation of Russian servicemen to
unprepared areas by somebody’s whim cannot be allowed,” he said.

Russia said after two days of bilateral negotiations in Moscow that
it could start the pullout of military bases from Batumi and
Akhalkalaki in 2005.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after negotiations with
his Georgian counterpart Salome Zurabishvili that the withdrawal
would be gradual and might start already this year if an agreement
was reached. Zurabishvili said that the bases must be withdrawn
before January 1, 2008.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress