Kommersant, Russia
June 10 2005

OSCE to Fund Removal of Russian Military Bases from Georgia

Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) may provide
extra funds to remove Russian military bases from Georgia, Russia’s
Ambassador-At-Large Igor Savolsky declared in Tbilisi.

`This laborious operation will take three years and a half,’ Russian
diplomat pointed out, adding the launch of the additional financial
backing within the OSCE has been agreed with the international
community and is targeted at accelerating the process and making it
more balanced.

Savolsky went to Tbilisi to draw up a special legal document out of
the political statement on Russian bases’ withdrawal, i.e. to legally
process the change in the status of Batumi and Akhalkalaky bases that
lose their target designation and shift to withdrawal schedule. Their
removal is to be finally completed in 2008, foreign ministers of
Russia and Georgia agreed in Moscow on May 30.

During the withdrawal operation that started June 1, 2005, Russia
will transfer the better part of its Georgian bases to its own
territory, though some of them will move to Armenia. Removal of 40
units of heavy armor, including tanks, from Akhalkalaky and Batumi
will complete by September 1, 2005.

3,000 soldiers and offices and about 2,500 units of military hardware
have been deployed in Georgia, some of them are in Armenia already.