Georgian army to be supplied with food produce from ethnic Armenian districts
Kavkasia-Press news agency
9 Aug 05
TBILISI
The Ministry of Defence is launching a programme for purchasing
agricultural produce for the Georgian armed forces in
Samtskhe-Javakheti. [President Mikheil Saakashvili announced on 10
July that the army should be supplied exclusively with agricultural
produce from largely ethnic Armenian districts of Samtskhe-Javakheti
to make up for the loss of customers from the 62nd Russian military
base being withdrawn from Georgia]
The Defence Ministry press and public relations department has told
Kavkasia-Press that delivery points will be opened at the district
administration buildings in [mainly ethnic Armenian] Akhalkalaki and
Ninotsminda on 10 August.
These points will also collect information on the availability and
price of agricultural produce, as well as the frequency of delivery.
A working group from the Defence Ministry’s procurement department has
arrived in Samtskhe-Javakheti and will study the situation in the
course of this week.
Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili and the leadership of the General
Staff, too, intend to arrive there.