RUSSIANS START WITHDRAWAL FROM MILITARY BASE IN GEORGIA
Channel One TV, Moscow
15 May 06
[Presenter] The first convoy of military equipment left the Russian
base at Akhalkalaki two hours ago. It contains 20 tanks and an
equal number of reconnaissance vehicles. The heavy equipment will be
completely removed from Akhalkalaki by the end of the year, and the
personnel by the end of next year. Our correspondent Mikhail Robakidze
reports from Georgia.
[Correspondent] The first convoy of Russian military equipment left
the Tsalka railway station at 10 o’clock. Yesterday the military were
saying that the departure might be delayed until midday because of
customs paperwork. But in the event everything was done in time and
the convoy will cross the Georgia-Azerbaijan border by the end of
the day. It will cross Azerbaijan on its way to Russia.
[Igor Konoshenkov, head of information service, Russian Ground
Troops] The Georgians are responsible for security inside Georgia. In
Azerbaijan, the Azeris are responsible. And on Russian territory,
the Group of Russian Forces in the Caucasus will provide guards to
travel with the convoy.
[Correspondent] The first convoy to leave Akhalkalaki will take seven
tanks, eight infantry fighting vehicles, two radio stations and four
communications vehicles. [Note: figures as heard, at variance with
presenter’s lead-in] In the meantime, enough hardware, weaponry and
other resources for another two convoys have been gathered at Tsalka.
Twenty-one convoys will go from the Akhalkalaki base by the end of
this year. A further one convoy will go from Batumi to Russia via
Azerbaijan. Only a small proportion of the hardware here is planned
for redeployment at the Russian base in the Armenian town of Gyumri.
[The entire process of vacating the base at Akhalkalaki will be
completed on time, the deputy commander-in-chief of Russia’s Ground
Troops told Interfax-AVN Military News Agency. “The first convoy
with armour deployed at military base No 62 in the Georgian town of
Akhalkalaki departed for Russia today in accordance with the plan and
schedule,” Gen Valeriy Yevnevich said in a report at 0646 gmt. “And
there should be no doubt that the other convoys will also leave in
strict compliance with the plan and schedule endorsed by the chief
of the General Staff.”]