TRAINS FROM RUSSIAN MILITARY BASES IN GEORGIA HEAD FOR RUSSIA

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
May 24, 2007 Thursday

A train with motor vehicles and property from the Russian military
base in Batumi headed for Russia last night, Itar-Tass learnt at the
base headquarters in Batumi. The train with 13 motor vehicles and
property of the base with a total weight of 300 tonnes will cross
the Georgian-Azerbaijan border at daytime and will head for Russia
across Azerbaijan.

It is the second train this year with hardware and property of the base
in Batumi to be carried to Russia. In 2007, another nine trainloads
will carry away materiel and property of this base to Russia and four
trains – to Armenia, to the Russian base in Gyumri.

A train with motor vehicles and property of the Russian military base
in Akhalkalaki (southern Georgia) headed, the same night, for Russia
from Akhaltsikhe. The Akhalkalaki base has no railway siding.

Therefore, motor vehicles and property was brought to Akhaltskhe
(70 kilometers away) by road several days ago.

As many as 20 motor vehicles and part of the base property were
dispatched on Thursday to Russia by this train (also via Azerbaijan).

It is the second and last train this year, bringing hardware and
property of the base to Russia. The main part of the materiel and
weapons of the base were taken from Georgia last year (partly to
Russia and partly to Armenia).

Starting from last April 13, four motor convoys brought part of
materiel and property of the Akhalkalaki base to the Gyumri base. The
last and fifth convoy will head for Gyumri on May 30. Some servicemen
remaining at the base will be dispatched from Akhalkalaki next June.

On July 1, the base will be closed down and its installations will
be handed over to Georgia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress