Civil Georgia, Georgia
May 24 2005
Baku Concerned over Moscow’s Plan to Relocate Part of Arms from
Georgia to Armenia
The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan convened Charge d’Affaires of
the Russian Federation to Azerbaijan Piotr Burdykin on May 23 and
handed over a note expressing Baku’s concerns regarding the possible
re-location of part of the Russian military hardware currently
stationed in Georgia to the Russian base in Armenia, the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry reported.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s note reads that plans to re-locate
part of the armament from Georgia to Armenia `does not serve the
interests of peace and security in the region and will aggravate
tensions.’
The Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Gen. Yuri Baluevsky,
said on May 19 that Russia’s military hardware and equipment
currently stationed in the two Russian bases in Georgia will be
redeployed in Russia and Armenia. He said that this decision to
re-deploy part of the military hardware to Armenia will make it
possible to finish the process of withdrawal from Georgia in four
years.