ANOTHER MILITARY CONVOY SET TO LEAVE BASE IN GEORGIA MAY 30
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 29 2007
MOSCOW, May 29 (RIA Novosti) – A military convoy will leave a Russian
military base in Georgia Wednesday as part of a 2006 deal on the
withdrawal of Russian bases from the country, a senior military
official said Tuesday.
Igor Konashenkov, an aide to the Russian Ground Forces commander, said
the convoy consisting of over 20 trucks will leave the Akhalkalaki
base in the south of the country and head for Gyumri in neighboring
Armenia, where Russia retains Military Base 102.
The Akhalkalaki base located in a region populated largely by ethnic
Armenians will be completely evacuated before the end of the year,
while the base in the Black Sea port of Batumi is to close by the
end of 2008.
Russia completed the withdrawal of its military garrison from the
Georgian capital, Tbilisi, handing over control of its headquarters
to Georgia’s Defense Ministry, last December.
Konashenkov also said that another military convoy, consisting of 32
carriages and carrying about 200 metric tons of cargo, will leave by
rail the Batumi base on the Black Sea Thursday.
"We plan to send before the yearend 14 more convoys by rail and one
convoy by road from Georgian territory to Russia and Military Base 102
[in Gyumri]," Konashenkov said.
According to the agreement between the countries, Russia must complete
the removal of its bases in Georgia by the end of 2008.
Georgia’s Western-leaning leadership, which is seeking to join NATO,
is uneasy about Russia’s continued military presence and has repeatedly
urged Moscow to close its Soviet-era bases.