"We hope that, in the course of the upcoming Russian-Georgian contacts decisions on the question of the Russian military bases will be agreed upon in the interests of both the sides", reads the commentary of the Press and Information Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the discussion in Georgia of the Russian military bases. The commentary has come to hand at RIA Novosti.
The Foreign Ministry recalls that, as a result of the talks by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tbilisi in February 2005, agreement has been reached on the sides' having in March-April "intensive consultations on the entire range of questions of bilateral relations, including the problem of the Russian military bases in Georgia".
"At the present moment, active preparations for the negotiations are under way. The Russian side will very soon pass to the Georgian side its proposals towards resolution of the existing problems", the commentary reads.
The Russian foreign policy establishment believes that "in these conditions, going for discussion of this problem in the legislative organs would be counterproductive" because "in the hot atmosphere, it will be hard for the negotiating sides to find compromises".
In the State Duma lobby on Wednesday, chairman of the lower parliamentary chamber Boris Gryzlov told journalists that within two months a special expert commission will prepare drafts for settling a status for the Russian military bases in Georgia.
Mr. Gryzlov cited two problems in the withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Georgia, namely, the timeframe and the related financial aspects.
