RUSSIA REMOVES ARTILLERY SYSTEMS FROM AKHALKALAKI BASE

Civil Georgia, Georgia
May 19 2006

Four self-propelled howitzers 2C1 were withdrawn from the Akhalkalaki
military base on May 19 and moved to Tsalka, Kvemo Kartli region. From
Tsalka the Russian military equipment will be loaded on train and
taken to the Russian Federation via Azerbaijan on May 23, the Georgian
Defense Ministry reported.

This withdrawal is part of the base pullout process, which should be
completed in Akhalkalaki before December 31, 2007, according to the
March 31 Georgian-Russian agreement.

A convoy of ten trucks, loaded with military equipment, as well
as an armored vehicle departed from the Russian military base in
Akhalkalaki and headed towards the Russian military base in Gyumri,
Armenia, on May 18.