GEORGIA, RUSSIA TO SIGN MILITARY TRANSIT, BASE PULLOUT TREATIES
Civil Georgia
March 30 2006
On March 31 the Georgian and Russian officials will sign in Russia’s
Black Sea resort of Sochi two agreements – one on timeframe and
modalities of functioning, rules and withdrawal of Russian military
bases from Georgia and another on transit of Russian military personnel
and cargo via Georgia.
Georgian First Deputy Defense Minister Mamuka Kudava will sign these
agreements.
The agreement on withdrawal of the Russian military bases is based
on a joint declaration signed between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov and Georgian ex-Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili in May,
2005. Russia has pledged to pull out its military bases from Georgia
by the end of 2008.
The agreement on transit of military personnel and cargo will enable
Russia to gain access to its military base in Gyumri, Armenia via
Georgia.
According to the Russian sources transit agreement obliges Russia to
not transfer any armament transited through the Georgian territory to a
third country. The amount of military cargo that will be transited via
Georgia will be agreed between Russia and Georgia one year in advance.
Russia also undertakes the commitment not to transit biological,
nuclear or chemical substances, as well as weapon of mass destruction
or their components.
According to the draft agreement, Georgia can refuse the transit
of items if the movement of the military cargo poses a threat to
its national security or if the final destination of the transited
military cargo is a location within a conflict zone or a warring state.