TBILISI. Jan 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia demands regular international monitoring of the former Russian base in Gudauta in the self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia, a high-ranking official of the Georgian Foreign Ministry told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"Georgia wants Russia's compliance with its obligation to abolish the Gudauta military base, assumed at the OSCE Istanbul summit in 1999, to be inspected by international officials with certain regularity, several times a year, until Tbilisi restores its jurisdiction over Abkhazia," the official said.
Georgia has sent its rationalization for the demand to Moscow, he said.
The 50th Russian base in Gudauta was disbanded in late 2001 in compliance with Istanbul summit decisions.
"Under international norms, Georgia may insist on adding its representatives to the inspection team, but it is ready to waive this right in order to help reach a compromise concerning Sukhumi's consent to receive the observer delegation," the official said.
"At the moment the problem with the sending of international inspectors is that Russia is ready to guarantee their security on the territory of the Gudauta base, as Russian peacekeepers are using some of its facilities, but this must be done on the entire territory of Abkhazia," he stressed.