Senior Georgian MPs defend Russian base agreement

Imedi TV, Tbilisi
14 Apr 06

[Presenter] The parliamentary majority has responded to opposition’s
allegations about the agreement on the Russian military bases’
pullout.

The majority leader [Maia Nadiradze MP] said that the parliament’s
historic decision to ratify the agreement was another step towards
joining NATO. Nadiradze stressed that the agreement did not contain a
single clause harming Georgia’s national interests. She said that the
parliamentary opposition’s complaints about the agreement lacked any
common sense.

According to [senior pro-government MP] Giga Bokeria, Russia initially
wanted the agreement to include a clause on the need to create a
[joint] antiterrorist centre, which would be followed by the actual
pullout. However, the Georgian side only agreed to sign a clause which
says that Georgia and Russia will decide on the creation of the
antiterrorist centre after the pullout of the bases.

MP Kote Gabashvili [chairman of parliament’s foreign relations
committee] commented on complaints calling for monitoring of the
Gudauta military base [in Abkhazia]. He said that its monitoring would
be unacceptable until the runway in Gudauta was put out of operation.

As regards the clause on transit [from Russia to Armenia], Davit
Bakradze [chairman of parliament’s European integration committee]
said that the Georgian side would control the movement of Russian
military equipment through Georgia.

[Maia Nadiradze] This agreement, legally and at an international
level, made the Georgian people’s 200-year-old dream come
true. Unfortunately, our opponents used incredible epithets when
describing this event. But their attitude once again proves that our
policy is right. It is so right, and we are moving forward so quickly,
that our irritated opponents apparently lose common sense sometimes.

[Giga Bokeria] We are kindly asking the media to do its best and
finally clarify today: Who in fact is trying to stupefy the public?
Who is trying to justify their own political immaturity,
irresponsibility and incomprehensible political actions by lying,
slandering and diminishing Georgia’s victory?

So far, no agreement has been reached on the antiterrorist centre. An
agreement will be reached only if it is acceptable for the Georgian
side. The Russian bases will be withdrawn from Georgia regardless of
this issue.

[Kote Gabashvili] We will not agree to monitoring of the Gudauta base,
whether it is done under the OSCE supervision or by Germany alone,
unless these two conditions are met: The [monitoring] process should
be permanent, and the runway there must be eliminated.

[Davit Bakradze] Every year, the Georgian side will know exactly what
kind and how much freight will travel through Georgia. The types and
volume of cargoes must be coordinated with the Georgian side in
advance.