Tbilisi Torpedoes Closing of Russian Bases

Talks on the procedure and time schedule for the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia have come to a dead end. The Georgian party has again put forward additional clauses, though previously the positions of the two parties were practically reconciled.

The talks in Tbilisi continued for two days, April 14 and 15, and drew a blank. According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Georgia has again been setting up the withdrawal of the bases with additional conditions. At the talks in the Georgian capital the Russian party tried to discuss a draft agreement on the duration and procedure of functioning of the Russian military bases in Georgia, confirming its willingness to bring about an organized withdrawal of its military contingent from Georgian territory.

The Russian diplomats set forth their arguments justifying the dates and conditions of the proposed withdrawal. Their position had been worked out on the basis of the accords reached by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with Georgian authorities on February 18, 2005, in Tbilisi.

Commenting on the deadlocked talks, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in its press release that "the proposals actually coincided with the timelines which the Georgian side itself had put forward during the previous stages of the talks. The Russian side also tabled practical considerations for the procedure of a stage-wise withdrawal of the Russian military bases, specifying, in particular, a priority withdrawal of heavy weaponry and equipment".

"However, despite our constructive moves to meet halfway the Georgian party, no accord has been reached on the key points of the agreement, as Tbilisi has put forward new conditions for the withdrawal", the press release says.