RUSSIA TO SHIP MORE MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO ARMENIA BASE
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty
Aug 22 2007
Czech Rep.

Russia will transfer on Thursday a fresh batch of military equipment
from one of its two military bases in Georgia to Russian troops
stationed in Armenia, reports from Moscow said on Wednesday.

The Russian Regnum news agency reported that a trainload of nine
military trucks and 300 tons of other equipment will enter Armenia as
part of the ongoing gradual closure of the Russian base in the Georgian
Black Sea city of Batumi. It quoted representatives of Russian ground
troops as saying that there will be three more equipment shipments
of this kind before the end of this year.

Under a Russian-Georgian agreement signed last year, Moscow is to
close the bases headquartered in Batumi and the Armenian-populated
town of Akhalkalaki by the end of 2008.

A Russian army spokesman told Regnum that the Akhalkalaki base will
be shut down later this year. Part of its military hardware and other
equipment was shipped to the Russian base in the northern Armenian
city of Gyumri last year.

Unlike Georgia, Armenia is a member of the Russian-led Collective
Security Treaty Organization and regards Russian military presence
as a key element of its national security. Yerevan has made it clear
that Russian troops will remain on Armenian soil in the foreseeable
future despite its growing military ties with the West.