TREATY ASSURES THAT RUSSIAN TANKS WILL RUMBLE THEIR LAST
By Keti Sikharulidze

The Messenger, Georgia
April 3 2006

Russia and Georgia agree on a set deadline for the removal of Russian
bases; and sign it.

Georgian First Deputy Minister of Defense Mamuka Kudava and Russian
Land Forces Commander Alexei Maslov sign the military base withdrawal
agreement.

After a year of negotiations, Georgia and Russia signed a treaty
on March 31, “on the operation terms, deadlines and withdrawal of
Russian military bases and objects from the territory of Georgia.”

The treaty was signed in the southern Russian city of Sochi by Deputy
Defense Minister Mamuka Kudava from Georgia and General Aleksei Maslov,
Commander-in Chief of the Russian land forces.

“With the signing of this agreement we have ended an epic story that
has been going on since the Giorgievski treaty was signed in 1783. It
has now ended successfully, which is a victory for the Georgian
nation,” Kudava said after signing the agreement.

Russian ambassador to Georgia Vladimiir Chkhikvishvili commended the
treaty saying “all terms and conditions in the documents were solved
by mutual compromises acceptable for both sides.”

The negotiations surrounding the withdrawal of Russian bases from
Georgian territory have been centered primarily on a joint declaration
which was signed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and former
Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili in May 2005.

“We have compromised by allowing Russia three years to withdraw
its military bases, as we believe that in reality such a long term
is not necessary. But we have decided to accept the arguments which
have been submitted by the Russian side,” Georgian Defense Minister
Irakli Okruashvili said at a news conference on March 31.

The withdrawal will be conducted according to the terms and conditions
laid out in the treaty. The Akhalkalaki base will be closed by October
1, 2007 while the Batumi base, which is also the headquarters of the
Russian forces in the South Caucasus, will be shut down in 2008.

According to the agreement, the heavy equipment currently on the two
bases must be removed by the end of the year. 370 pieces of military
hardware from the Akhalkalaki base will be transferred to Russia’s
102nd military base in Gyumri, Armenia while the rest of the equipment
will leave Georgian territory through Batumi port, including the 11
tanks, 127 armoured cars, and 76 pieces of artillery that are located
at the Batumi base. All other weapons must leave Georgia by December
31, 2007.

One potentially troubling unsolved problem remains however: Russia’s
Gudauta military base in Abkhazia is not included in the treaty. The
Russian side claims that the base has not been in use since 2001 and
that it no longer houses any weapons although recent reports suggest
that this allegedly abandoned base has come under attack from Abkhazian
boevics who have purportedly been trying to capture weapons. Russian
soldiers even injured several Abkhaz militiamen during this attack,
some reports indicate.

“This incident clearly shows that the base has not been closed, and
therefore we categorically call upon the international commonwealth
to pressure make everything evident and close it like Akhlakalaki
and Batumi bases,” stated Okruashvili. The Georgian side has demanded
that its own military representatives be allowed in to inspect this
supposedly derelict base.

In addition the two sides also signed a document on the organization
of the transit of Russian military cargo and personnel across
Georgia. Russia needs such permission from Georgia in order to supply
its military base in Guymri as Georgia represents the only possible
ground transit route due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

According to the draft agreement, Georgia can refuse to allow the
transit of any military cargo that it believes could pose a threat
to its national security or if the final destination of the cargo is
located within a conflict zone or a warring state.

“It can be called a compromise from our side when we accepted this
transit agreement… However this does not mean that we will put
ourselves in a position where we will allow the transit of any cargo
that will pose a threat to regional stability,” said the Defense
Minister, adding that the amount of military cargo transited via
Georgia will be agreed upon by Russia and Georgia at least one year
in advance.

Russia also undertakes the commitment not to transit biological,
nuclear or chemical weapons, or weapon of mass destruction or any of
their components.

Despite these stipulations, Azerbaijan has protested what it sees as
a decision by Georgia to assist Russia arm Armenia – an accusation
which the Georgian Minister of Defense refutes.

“Russia does not bring this equipment to Armenia in order to give it
to the Armenian military, but to place it on their own military bases
there and besides, this complaint has no significant meaning for us
as the main thing is to withdraw foreign militaries from our country,”
Defense Minister Okruashvili noted.