Russian bases can move from Georgia to Armenia, breakaway Abkhazia – pundit

RBK TV, Moscow
16 May 05

[Presenter] Russian military bases may be re-located from Georgia
to Armenia and Abkhazia, vice president of the [Russian] Academy of
Geopolitical Problems Leonid Ivashov has said today. It won’t be too
costly, he said. Russia should not leave from Caucasus, but the bases
cannot stay in Georgia, he added.

The political scientist believes that the Georgian leadership will not
enter an open conflict with Russia but will be consistently squeezing
it out from the region.

Sooner or later, Georgia will use force to resolve its conflicts with
[breakaway provinces of] Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Ivashov said.

[Ivashov, captioned, talking to a news conference on the premises of
the Argumenty I Fakty newspaper] Russia is ready for a compromise, it
is ready to deal seriously with all problems of the Russian-Georgian
relations. I am afraid that neither Georgian nor Russian people would
benefit from such attacks [reference to recent statements by Georgian
politicians about possible blockade of Russian army bases]