RIA Novosti, Russia
July 28 2005

Russia begins withdrawal of military equipment from Batumi base

TBILISI, July 28 (RIA Novosti, Marina Kvaratskhelia) – A railroad
echelon of Russian military hardware left Georgia’s Batumi military
base (Adjaria) Thursday, the Georgian defense ministry said.

The railroad echelon will be relocated to the Russian side of the
Great Caucasian Ridge. A representative of the Georgian defense
ministry will accompany the Russian military equipment to the
Georgian-Russian border.

Under the agreement signed by Moscow and Tbilisi on May 31, 2005,
Russia will begin to pull out its armor from the Batumi military base
in August 2005. A Russian naval ship will arrive in the port of
Batumi for this purpose.

The Russian military requested that Georgia repair bridges in the
region of Samtskhe-Dzhavakhetia (on the border with Armenia) to
provide a safe withdrawal of armor from the Akhalkalaki military base
as scheduled.

Earlier Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said only a part of
armaments and equipment would be brought from Georgia into Russia’s
military base in Armenia to comply with the treaty on armed forces in
Europe. He also said Russia would not hand over armaments to Armenia.

Under the May agreements signed between Moscow and Tbilisi, Russia
will complete the closure of its two military bases in Georgia by
2008.

In 2006, Russia will withdraw its armor from Akhalkalaki (near the
border with Armenia). Next year, the Akhalkalaki base will be closed.
In 2008, Russia will pull out its armor from the Batumi base, after
which the base will be closed.