ITAR-TASS, Russia
Nov 23 2006
Train with property of Russia garrison in Tbilisi sent to Russia
TBILISI, November 23 (Itar-Tass) – The first train with property and
military hardware of the Tbilisi garrison of the Group of Russian
Troops in Transcaucasia was dispatched to Russia on Thursday.
According to the headquarters’ spokesman, the train pulled off from
Vaziani, a Tbilisi suburb, via Azerbaijan to Russia at 08.00. `The
part of military hardware and property of the garrison, which is
pulled out by the train to Russia, had been massed in Vaziani in good
time,’ he said. The train carries eight tonnes of property and 23
units of military hardware, including four infantry armoured
carriers, several tractors and motor vehicles.
On November 16, a train with hardware and property of the Tbilisi
garrison had been dispatched to Armenia, to the Russian military base
in Gyumri. The withdrawal of the Tbilisi garrison will be completed
by the year-end: one train with property and hardware will be
dispatched to Armenia, and another one to Russia. All in all, 100
units of military hardware and 350 tonnes of property and ammunition
as well as 387 servicemen will be withdrawn from the Tbilisi
garrison.
As for the Russian bases in Akhalkalaki and Batumi, in compliance
with the Russian-Georgian understandings, the Akhalkalaki base will
be closed by October 1, 2007 and in Batumi – by October 1, 2008.