Last-minute visa hitch holds up withdrawal of Russian hardware from Georgia
NTV Mir, Moscow
29 Jul 05
[Presenter] The withdrawal of Russian military hardware from Georgia
has been postponed. A convoy was supposed to have left Batumi for the
North Caucasus today, but nothing happened. This was either because of
bureaucratic red tape or, observers say, because – in spite of its
professed wish to get rid of the Russian military presence as soon as
possible – Tbilisi does not really know what it wants. Roman Sobol
tried to get to the bottom of the situation.
[Correspondent] This morning these vehicles were supposed to leave the
12th Russian base in Batumi and head for the North Caucasus. All in
all, there are nine units of wheeled hardware and two escort
vehicles. This is the first convoy envisaged by the agreement between
the Georgian and Russian foreign ministries on the withdrawal of the
Russian military bases.
Everything was ready on the Russian side. The hardware has been
fuelled. But the departure had to be postponed. Georgia is not issuing
visas to the drivers who have to return after ferrying this convoy.
[Davit Sikharulidze, Georgian deputy defence minister, captioned] All
the problems, the technical problems, have been dealt with in the
agreement, which we have already approved. Both delegations have
approved it. This agreement only has to be signed.
[Correspondent] Although the Russian military specialists handed over
all the documents on time, the Georgian side is in no hurry to
respond. This is not the first incident. Yesterday Georgian border
guards held up a convoy travelling from Akhalkalaki to Armenia,
demanding additional documentation for the export of five PK machine
guns and five signal flares.
[Korneli Salia, acting chief of staff of Georgian Border Guard
Department, captioned] This was a mistake by some officer who, when
the assets were being loaded, put these weapons somewhere they should
not have been.
[Correspondent] The situation is ambiguous. Following the noisy
campaign in Georgia against the Russian bases and the compromise which
was achieved with difficulty, the local authorities are for some
reason holding up the withdrawal, even though the Georgian Defence
Ministry says it will give the utmost assistance to the Russian
military. Another round of talks began today.
[Vladimir Kuparadze, deputy commander of Group of Russian Troops in
the Transcaucasus, captioned] A group of generals and officers has
arrived in Tbilisi to organize the withdrawal of armaments and heavy
hardware.
[Correspondent] Only after these talks, will the time for the
withdrawal of the first column of combat hardware be clarified. The
Russian bases have to be closed by 2008.
This is Roman Sobol and Nugzar Kereselidze reporting from Georgia for
NTV.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress