The talks in Tbilisi on February 10-12 within the framework of the Russian and Georgian state commissions for preparing the draft Treaty of Friendship, Goodneighbourliness, Cooperation and Mutual Security, as well as the consultations between the military delegations have produced no concrete results, the commentary says.
"We went to Tbilisi in the mood for substantive promotion in resolving the corresponding problems based on the understanding reached earlier during contacts between the security councils and the foreign ministries of Russia and Georgia. However, the talks showed that the Georgian side has departed from the positions agreed upon before", the Russian Foreign Ministry noted.
This goes for the Treaty's reflecting the ensurance of mutual security, above all the non-placement of military bases of third countries on the sides' territory, and the creation of joint anti-terrorist centers while resolving the question of the withdrawal of the Russian Batumi and Akhalkalaki military bases from Georgia, the Russian ministry explained.
"We will seek mutually acceptable solutions for these problems in the course of the next talks", the ministerial commentary stresses.
As regards the "unconditional withdrawal of the Russian military bases", the Russian Foreign Ministry recalls, the Russian-Georgian statement adopted in Istanbul in November 1999 fixes Tbilisi's obligation to grant the Russian side the right to ad-hoc deployment of its CFE treaty-limited weapons and vehicles at the Batumi and Akhalkalaki bases. This obligation has no time or other limitations.
Russia has in full measure fulfilled its obligations under the Istanbul statement, the ministerial commentary stresses.
