MIDNIGHT TRAIN FROM GEORGIA SEES RUSSIA COMPLETE MILITARY PULLOUT

RIA Novosti, Russia
Nov 15 2007

MOSCOW, November 15 (RIA Novosti) – Russia has completed a pullout of
military personnel and equipment from a Soviet-era base in Batumi,
Georgia, an aide to the chief of the Russian Ground Forces said
on Thursday.

The last train containing Russian servicemen and property left the
base in southern Georgia for Armenia, at 01:10 a.m. local time on
Thursday (09:10 p.m. GMT on Wednesday).

"The train is en route to the 102nd military base in the town of
Gyumri in Armenia," Col. Igor Konashenkov said, adding that it would
reach its destination by Thursday night.

The Batumi base commander, the commander of Russia’s contingent in
the South Caucasus, as well as 150 servicemen and their families are
on the train, which is also carrying some 200 metric tons of equipment.

The Batumi pullout means that no Russian troops remain in Georgia
except for peacekeepers in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia, said General of the Army Alexei Maslov, the Ground
Forces commander.

Under an agreement between the former Soviet republics, Russia was
to complete the closure of its base in Batumi by the end of 2008.

Last December, Russia completed the pullout of its military garrison
from Tbilisi, handing over control of its headquarters to Georgia’s
Defense Ministry, and formally handed over its military base at
Akhalkalaki in southern Georgia to Tbilisi in June, ahead of the
October 2007 deadline.

The tiny Caucasus nation has sought to join NATO and other European
organizations since U.S.-educated President Mikheil Saakashvili came
to power on the back of street protests in 2003.

However, similar opposition demonstrations against Saakashvili last
week led to the announcement of early presidential elections, set for
January 5. Saakashvili has blamed Russia for tension in the country,
expelling three Russian diplomats on November 8.