Azerbaijan, Georgia in talks over Russian arms redeployment – envoy

Trend news agency
27 May 05

Baku, 27 May, Trend correspondent E. Huseynov: The Azerbaijani
leadership is holding consultations with Tbilisi to prevent the
redeployment of a part of Russian property and military hardware from
Georgia to Armenia, Ramiz Hasanov, Azerbaijani ambassador to Georgia,
has told Trend.

He said that the Azerbaijani side understands Georgia’s interest in a
speedy withdrawal of Russian troops from their country, but for Baku
it also matters to where they will be redeployed.

“They must not end up in Armenia. Therefore, we are constantly
discussing this issue with Tbilisi,” the envoy said.

Hasanov added that the withdrawal of heavy hardware from the Russian
bases had not started yet, and only ammunition was being redeployed.

[Passage omitted: chief of the Russian General Staff said recently
that Russian bases would be withdrawn form Georgia]