Russia did not intend to transfer bases to Abkhazia – ambassador at large
RIA Novosti, Russia
June 3 2005
MOSCOW, June 3 (RIA Novosti) – Russia did not intend to transfer its
bases from Georgia to Abkhazia, Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador
at large Igor Savolsky said.
“We did not regard Abkhazia as a site for redeploying the bases. We
mentioned Armenia because the base in Akhalkalaki (Georgia) is located
100 km away from our base in Gyumri (Armenia),” Savolsky said.
However, it is hard to say what armaments and property will be
transferred to Armenia because exact terms of the withdrawal of
Russian bases in Georgia have not been fixed yet, he added.
“Anyway, military hardware and property will be transferred from one
Russian base to another. Nothing extraordinary is going to happen,”
he said. Therefore, Baku’s concerns that it will reinforce the Armenian
army are groundless.
“Russian military hardware will not be handed to the Armenian side.
It will be stationed at the Russian base,” Savolsky said.