TBILISI. June 17 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia is interested in exchanging information on portable air defense missile systems with Russia, Deputy Defense Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said on Tuesday.
"Georgia agrees with the Russian proposal to toughen control over sales of portable air defense missile systems. Russia includes this issue in the sphere of bilateral negotiations. Georgia is ready to conduct a dialogue with Russia on this issue on a bilateral basis," Bezhuashvili told Interfax-Military News Agency.
Georgia is ready to provide information of its portable air defense missile systems to any interested party, he said. Moreover, Georgia wants the parties to inform each other twice a year on the number of portable air defense missile systems in their inventory.
According to Bezhuashvili, Georgia is interested in getting information on portable air defense missiles systems in the inventory of Russian military bases on the Georgian territory. As there are Russian bases in the Georgian towns of Batumi and Akhalkalaki, Tbilisi should have information on the number of portable air defense systems in their inventory, he argued.
Georgia wants "information on the export and import of portable air defense missile systems to contain serial numbers and production years," Bezhuashvili noted. Russia turned down this amendment at the recent session of the CIS Defense Ministers Council.
Azerbaijani, Georgian, Ukrainian and Uzbek military leaders turned down Russian proposal to toughen control over sales of portable air defense missile systems at the Council session in Kazakhstan on June 9.
Russia proposed tougher control measures over the sale of Igla and Strela portable air defense missile systems and suggested submitting the document for the approval of the heads of CIS states.