Kommersant, Russia
April 26 2005

Two-Way (Out) Relations

Russia and Georgia specify the timetable for closing Russian military
bases

Friendship of Nations

Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili arrived in Moscow on
Monday. The main topic of her negotiations with Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov was the pullout of Russian troops from Batumi
and Akhalkalaki. Moscow was trying to reach an agreement before the
May 9 meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili and even made significant concessions
in order to reach that goal.

Kommersant has learned from sources in Tbilisi that Russian and
Georgian diplomacy is working toward a document that could be signed
in the immediate future by the presidents of those countries, a
`joint statement on current issues in bilateral relations.’ It looks
as though the Foreign Ministry was ordered to reach an agreement in
time for the celebrations on May 9, when Saakashvili will visit
Moscow. The Russian leadership intends the signing of the document
and reconciliation between Russia and Georgia on Victory Day as an
added bonus for the day.

But the signing of the agreement is still not possible without
solving the problem of the Russian military bases in Georgia.
Therefore, the diplomats made every effort in Monday’s negotiations
to reach an agreement on them. Only concessions from Russia could
ease the tension and guarantee that Saakashvili would final give his
final assent to come to Moscow (he still has not given a firm
answer). They did not forget in Moscow, however, that the agreement
has to be signed by May 15 in any case at all. That is the day when
the Georgian parliament’s ultimatum that practically outlawed the
bases runs out.

After the negotiations Monday, Lavrov noted with satisfaction that
`the positions of Moscow and Tbilisi on the timetable for the closure
of the Russian military bases have come closer.’ He added that `a
gradual withdrawal may begin this year.’ Kommersant has obtained
information that Lavrov made it clear in the negotiations that Moscow
is ready to give up its previous demands and is ready to agree to
move its base in Akhalkalaki to Armenia by the end of 2007 and close
the base in Batumi by the end of 2008. During a joint press
conference, the ministers avoided specific dates, but Georgian Prime
Minister Zurab Nogaideli made his views in an interview with the
Interfax news agency also on Monday. He stated decisively that all
Russian bases should be closed by the end of 2007, and added that
Tbilisi `does not intend to compensate’ Moscow for it.

Zurabishvili was cautious in her estimations Monday and stated that
`it is necessary to agree not only on the timetable of the closure of
the Russian military bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki, but also on
specific issues connected with those closures… The devil is hiding in
the details.’ The details that Moscow and Tbilisi still have to agree
on are many. Russia is placing big hopes on the Russian-Georgian
Antiterrorism Center that, in its plans, is to arise in place of the
bases and replace the bases in many ways. Tbilisi is not openly
against that idea, but does not see any particular sense in it
either. Georgian law enforcement bodies are completely satisfied with
their current cooperation with NATO and the United States Train and
Equip Program for the Georgian special forces. Therefore, Tbilisi’s
enthusiasm for Russian-Georgian antiterrorism efforts is considerably
weaker than Moscow’s. Another source of contention may be Russia’s
proposal to sign a supplemental agreement on Russian military transit
through Georgia, which Russia need in order to have a military base
in Armenia.

The latest Russian-Georgian mini-scandal also complicated the talks
the foreign ministers. Zurabishvili did not hide her annoyance at
Russian ambassador to Moldova Nikolay Ryabov, who said that Mikhail
Saakashvili `imagines that he is the messiah of the West in the
former Soviet Union.’ Finally, another stumbling block was the latest
military exercises in Abkhazia, conducted with the participation of
Russia. Moscow is probably already thinking of those things as the
details.

by Mikhail Zygar