ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
August 23, 2007 Thursday 10:13 AM EST
Russia’s motor equipment, property leave Georgia for Armenia
TBILISI August 23
A total of 15 units of motor equipment, several trailers to them and
some property of the Russian military base in Batumi (Georgia) with a
total weight of 293 tonnes have been sent to the Russian military
base in Gyumri in Armenia by train on Thursday, ITAR-TASS learnt
learned at the Group of Russian Troops in the Transcaucasus (GRTT).
The train consisting of 18 cars will cross the Georgian-Armenian
border in the afternoon on Thursday and continue its movement to the
point of destination.
This the fourth train with property and equipment of the Batumi base
that was sent to Gyumri in the current year. According to the GRTT,
one more train and a motor convoy will transport property and
equipment of the Batumi base to Gyumri, and one train to Russia (via
Azerbaijan). In the period from May to late July, 11 trains
transported equipment and property of the base in Batumi to Russia.
In July, assistant of the Commander-in-Chief of Russia’s Land Forces
Colonel Igor Konashenkov said that "Russia carries out in full and
ahead of time its obligations to withdraw its military bases in
Georgia." He noted that the Russian military base in Akhalkalaki was
transferred to Georgia in late June, although, according to an
agreement, it was to be transferred before October 1. Equipment and
property of the Akhalkalaki base were taken away to Russia and
Armenia in 2005-2007.
As for the base in Batumi, according to Georgian-Russian agreements,
it will be closed down before October 2008. The withdrawal of
equipment and property of the Batumi base was also started in 2005.