RUSSIA EXPECTS EARLY CLOSURE OF MILITARY BASE IN GEORGIA
ITAR-TASS
Nov 7 2007
Russia
Moscow, 7 November: Russia will withdraw its last military base from
Georgia ahead of schedule, the commander of the Russian Ground Troops,
Army Gen Aleksey Maslov said on Wednesday [7 November].
"Russia plans to complete the withdrawal of the last, 12th military
base stationed in the Georgian city of Batumi ahead of schedule,"
Maslov said.
"Since military hardware, arms and our property from the 12th military
base in Batumi have been practically withdrawn to Russia and the 102nd
military base in Gyumri (Armenia), we plan to start the transfer of
the Batumi base’s infrastructure to the Georgian side before the end
of 2007," the general said.
The last train with arms and property from Russia’s 12th military
base in Batumi will leave Georgia for Russia on 8 November, an aide
to commander of the Russian Ground Troops, Col Igor Konashenkov,
said earlier in the day.
"We are finishing the preparation for the departure of the last
military train with military hardware and property from the 12th
Russian military base in Batumi," he said,
"The train will leave for Russia on Thursday morning. It will take
12 vehicles and property of about 55 tonnes," Konashenkov said.
"All hardware has already been loaded on the platforms and been
examined by the Georgian side. This is the last train to leave
Georgia for Russia with military hardware and property from the
Russian military bases in Georgia," he said.
Another train will leave Batumi in the middle of November to bring
additional supplies for the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri,
Armenia. "That will complete the withdrawal of military property
and hardware from the Russian military bases in Georgia to Russia,"
Konashenkov said.
Russia has withdrawn over 500 pieces of military hardware (about 350
motor vehicles and over 150 armoured vehicles) and almost 2,000 tonnes
of other property from the Russian military bases in Georgia in 2007.
Four trains were dispatched to Armenia for the 102nd military base
in Gyumri.