NATO SECRETARY GENERAL SEES NO MATTER OF PRINCIPLE IN WHERE
RUSSIAN MILITARY BASES WILL MOVE FROM GEORGIA

BRUSSELS, MAY 26. ARMINFO. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop
Scheffer gives no big importance to where Russia will take its
military bases in Georgia.

The main thing is that Russia and Georgia should come to agreement
and that the bases should leave the Georgian territory. It is not
important at the current stage where they will go, Scheffer says in
an interview to the Mze TV company.

Scheffer wonders if Russia will show positive approach in the matter.

To remind, Russia is planning to take most of its Georgia-based
troops to its territory and some small part to Armenia, a
circumstance strongly vexing Azerbaijan and some Georgian experts.

Meanwhile Georgian Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze says that
“Georgia sees no threat from Armenia.”

Georgia and Russia have not yet agreed on the specific time of the
withdrawal. Russia wants to do it throughout 2008, Georgia wants it
to be done by the beginning of 2008 at the latest. At the current
stage it is known that the withdrawal will start from Akhalkalaki and
Russia will not pay Georgia a compensation for its bases deployment
in its territory. The sides have also agreed on creating a joint
Georgia-Russian anti-terror center headquartered in Tbilisi with
possible office in Batumi where Russia has a military base.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress