Pan Armenian News

JAVAKHETIA RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT TAKE WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE AS
TRAGEDY

24.05.2005 07:58

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the course of its today’s sitting the Council of
Armenian NGOs of Samtskhe-Javakhetia touched upon the issue of withdrawal of
the Russian military bases from Akhalkalaki, reported A-Info news agency.
The Council arrived at a conclusion that `the Javakhetia population has to
take the fact that has taken place with understanding, as the decision over
the issue depends on the positions of the Russian and Georgian authorities.
Though the military base in Akhalkalaki facilitated the solution of some
economic problems and was a guarantee of physical security in the
psychological respect, Javakhetia residents should not take the withdrawal
of the bases as a tragedy. Even if the Georgian state cannot secure the
Javakhetia population, one can rely on the international community and
international laws in this issue.’ It should be reminded that talks over the
specification of the time of withdrawal of Russian military bases are close
to completion in Tbilisi. Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia Merab Antadze
represents the Georgian party at the talks, while the Russian one is
presented by Igor Savolsky, an Ambassador for Special Commissions. The
Russian party plans to withdraw the bases within 2008, while the Georgian
party – before January 1, 2008.