TBILISI, September 14 (AVN) - Defence Minister David Tevzadze said on Thursday Russia will only be allowed to use its military airfield in the Tbilisi suburb Vaziani on preliminary consent of Georgia after the Russian military base is withdrawn from the area.
Moreover, the Georgian authorities insist that Russia abandons the airfield altogether after its bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki are also withdrawn, Tevzadze told a news conference.
As it was earlier reported, Georgia's Air Transport Department banned flights of the Russian Air Force over the Georgian territory on Monday, claiming the Russian Defence Ministry owes huge sums of money for the use of the airspace. However the Air Force command, together with officials of the Russian troops group in the Trans-Caucasus, held negotiations with Georgia and persuaded it to postpone the payment of the USD41,000 debt until October 10.
The Russian party provided necessary guarantees of payment, a spokesman for the Georgian Defence Ministry told the Military News Agency. Thanks to it, the ban was lifted and the flights of Russian military transports from the Vaziani airfield will resume on Thursday.
The Vaziani base is to be completely withdrawn by July 1, 2001.