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The
question on duration of functioning of the Russian military bases in Batumi and
Akhalkalaki will be the basic issue on the sixth round Russian - Georgian
negotiations of military subjects, which will be held on 23 –24 March in
Moscow. As the official representative of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia
George Mandzhgaladze has declared, prior to the beginning of a round 21 - 22
March in Moscow, the meeting of experts of the both sides on which Georgia will
assert their position in connection with duration of the withdrawal of these
bases will be determined to take place in 3 years. Russia determines the
duration of closing of bases in Batumi and Àõàëêàëàêè and the
withdrawal of their staff in 15 years. According to George Mandzhgaladze if the
Russian side documentarily will confirm the argument on this question, that is
possible, then its offers will be considered. It is expected, that during the
sixth round of negotiations the report on final transfer of air station in
Vaziani Georgia will be signed, as told by George Mandzhgaladze. According to
his information, according to the protocol, Georgia during the stay of the
Russian military bases in the country annually will serve free-of-charge 48
flights of the Russian planes from air station in Vaziani. During the sixth
round of negotiations, the question of transfer to the Georgian side up to 20
Russian military installations deployed in territory of the country will be also
considered, he told. Similarly will be discussed the question of the pulling out
of the deployment in Sagaredjo of the Russian warehouse of mines as the two
sides have already reached the political decision, declared George Mandzhgaladze.
Vice-premier of the government of the Russian Federation Ilya Klebanov, Minister
for Foreign Affairs of Georgia Iraklyi Menagarishvili, Minister of Defence David
Tevzadze will take part in the sixth round of the Russian - Georgian
negotiations on military affairs. The Georgian delegation will come back from
Moscow to Tbilisi on March 25. According to the agreement reached during the
Istanbul summit of OSCE of 1999 about the deployment in Vaziani and Gudatua,
Russian military bases should be closed till July 1 of the current year. The two
sides yet do not agree to the decision on duration of the pulling out of bases
in Batumi and Akhalkalaki.
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