Pan Armenian News

US PASSED RESOLUTION ON WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN BASES FROM GEORGIA

14.05.2005 03:51

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The US Senate has passed a Resolution on Withdrawal of
Russian Military Bases from Georgia. Democrats and Republicans spoke for the
soonest completion of the Russian military presence in that country,
reported Utro.ru. As Republican Senator Bill Frist noted, Moscow has not
fulfilled the commitments to withdraw the bases assumed earlier. He also
reminded that over 3 thousand Russian servicemen are in the territory of
Georgia at the moment and time has come for them to leave that country.
Russia has not fulfilled its commitments within the Istanbul arrangements on
the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe,’ notes the document. US
State Secretary Condoleezza Rice being present at the Senate hearing assured
the members of the upper chamber of the Congress that the Bush
Administration does its best to convince Moscow to withdraw troops from
Georgia as soon as possible. It should be reminded that during the OSCE
Istanbul Summit in 1999 Russia signed an agreement according to which the
Russian troops have to leave Georgia and Transdniestria within four years
and now Washington demands that Russia meet these commitments. Being
concerned over the NATO activities along the Russian borders, the Kremlin in
its turn does not hasten to withdraw the peacekeepers. While the US Senate
confirms its readiness to assist Georgia in the withdrawal of Russian
troops, the State Duma in Moscow officially censures the harsh statements by
the Georgian colleagues, who have put forward an ultimatum over the Russian
military bases in Georgia. The State Duma has expressed its attitude to the
Georgian message in a n address to President Vladimir Putin. At that time
the Staff of the Group of Russian Forces in Tbilisi is not supplied with
water for already two weeks. As reported by Tbilvodokanal company, the water
supplies are suspended due to the debt for spending water that makes over 1
million laris (some $500). The company representatives assured that `the
cease of water supply has nothing common with politics, as the company
attitude to any persistent defaulter.’ At that the energy supplies of the
staff is not stopped. TELASI Tbilisi electricity distribution company
official representative Valery Pantsulaya told journalists today that the
Group of Russian Forces in Transcaucasia pays for the electricity and `the
company does not feel any political pressure either by the Georgian
authorities, or Russia.’ In spite of that Georgian leaders officially assure
that nothing threatens servicemen of the Russian bases, stated Speaker of
the Georgian Parliament Nino Burjanadze. In the Speaker’s words, she `does
not understand the hysteria that has taken place in the Russian State Duma,’
she does not understand which irresponsible statements Russia accuses
Georgia in. She also accentuated that `Georgia is not for exacerbation of
the relations with any of its neighbors, especially Russia.’ However, in her
words, it does not mean that Tbilisi will renounce its principles and
interests: `We use all opportunities provided for by the international law
to withdraw Russian bases from our territory.’