TBILISI, December 22 (AVN) - The Russian-Georgian agreement on the terms of Russian military bases in Batumi, capital of the Adzharian autonomous republic, and Akhalkalaki in the Samtskhe-Dzhavakheti district functioning will be signed no later than in March 2001, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov said.
Klebanov is the head of Russian delegation during the Russian-Georgian negotiations on military and economic co-operation. Klebanov has also expressed this position to Georgian President Eduard Schewardnadze on Friday and the latter agreed with it. The problem might be also solved completely with Georgian Foreign Minister Irakly Menagarishvili during his visit to Moscow in late January 2001, Klebanov said.
According to Russian party, the 15th year period needed for the bases withdrawal is the compulsory thing for building infrastructure in the areas where the equipment is to be re-deployed. "This 12-15 year period comes from the similar experience of the USA and Great Britain," Klebanov stressed. Russia should not everything the same way it happened with the Armed Forces withdrawal from Germany when the bad social situation has emerged in the withdrawn units and among the retired servicemen, Klebanov added.