FIRST TRAIN WITH MILITARY HARDWARE FROM AKHALKALAKI LEAVES GEORGIA
ITAR-TASS, Azerbaijan
May 15 2006
TBILISI, May 15 (Itar-Tass) – The first train with military hardware
and munitions from the Russian military base deployed in Akhalkalaki,
southern Georgia, has left the district of Tsalka, 50 kilometers away
from Akhalkalaki, for Russia, an official at the Russian army group
in the Caucasus told Itar-Tass on Monday.
The Georgian Railways-owned 19-carriage train will bring to Russia
seven T-72 tanks, eight reconnaissance vehicles, four infantry combat
vehicles, four communication vans and 340 boxes with rockets for
GRAD launchers.
A group of Georgian military will accompany the train to the
Azerbaijani border.
Under the agreements reached between Russia and Georgia, the withdrawal
of Russian bases from Akhalkalaki should be completed in 2007.
This year, 19 trainloads are expected to bring back to Russia all
hardware. The departures of other trains are scheduled for May 23,
25 and 30.
Part of the hardware and munitions will be redeployed to the Russian
base of Gyumri, in Armenia. The first truck convoy will leave for
Gyumri on May 18.
When all personnel, munitions and material supplies have been pulled
out of Akhalkalaki by late 2007, the base will be closed.