RUSSIA TO WITHDRAW FROM MILITARY BASE IN GEORGIA

Xinhua, China
March 30 2007

MOSCOW, March 30 (Xinhua) — Russia will start withdraw of military
facilities from its base in Akhakalaki, Georgia, in April12 and
conclude in late May, indicating a new step towards the full pullout
of Russian military bases from the former soviet country.

The military equipment will be transported back to Russia or to Gyumri,
Russian base in Armenia during the pullout, the Itar-Tass news agency
reported on Wednesday. The heavy machinery and armaments have been
sent to Armenia and Russia last year.

Russian servicemen will leave Akhalkalaki and the base will
be transferred to Georgia by July 1, Itar-Tass said, citing a
representative of the base command.

The withdraw from Batumi, Russia’s last military base in Georgia,
started two years ago and will resume within a month and conclude
in 2008.

Russia inherited four military bases in Georgia from the Soviet Union
and has withdrawn two of them. Nearly 3,000 Russian servicemen are
still deployed at Georgia’s Akhalkalaki and Batumi Russian bases.

The two countries signed an agreement in March, 2006, to set out
the deadline and details of the pullout of those bases. Both sides
agreed to complete the phased withdrawal of the Russian bases and
other military installations in Georgia by the end of 2008.