RIA Novosti, Russia
May 26 2005

RUSSIA, GEORGIA COME CLOSE TO COMPROMISE ON BASES WITHDRAWAL
20:12

MOSCOW, May 26 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said
Russia and Georgia were close to reaching a compromise on the
timeframe for the withdrawal of Russia’s two military bases from
Georgia. On Thursday, Putin and Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili talked on the phone, the conversation that was initiated
by Georgia, according to the Russian president’s press service.

“The presidents expressed satisfaction with the results of a regular
round of talks on military issues that had concluded in Tbilisi
recently,” reads the press release issued by the Kremlin. “The
Russian president said it was important the compromise Russia and
Georgia were about to reach was based on the realistic possibilities
of withdrawing the Russian bases in an organized and civilized way.”

Putin congratulated the Georgian leader on Independence Day, the
national holiday Georgia was celebrating on May 26.

Moscow said it would pull out its bases from Batumi, Georgia’s
autonomy of Adjaria, and Akhalkalaki, on the border with Armenia,
before the end of 2008, whereas Tbilisi insists the process should be
accomplished by early 2008.