Three-day negotiations on the issue have just come to a close in the Russian capital. The Russians set forth their proposals on the withdrawal of the bases and the establishment of a joint counter-terrorism center while the Georgians outlined theirs. But the sides failed to put any mutually acceptable timeframe on the pullout.
The Russian side does not want to rush. It emphasized during the talks that the military bases should be withdrawn in a well-ordered manner.
The negotiators also considered problems related to the now re-located Gudauta base, including terms for the use of its old site by the CIS Collective Peacekeeping Force deployed in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone.
Consultations on the establishment of a Russo-Georgian anti-terror center were held in Moscow in parallel with the pullout talks. The Russian delegation suggested that an agreement to the effect be concluded as soon as possible so that the center could start its operations before the withdrawal of the Russian bases is completed, the Foreign Ministry's press office reports.
According to the ministry, "the sides agreed to resume negotiations in the next two or three weeks, both within the framework of expert groups and between war affairs commissioners, with a view to reaching negotiated solutions."
The Moscow consultations were held as a follow-up on the agreements reached earlier by the Russian Foreign Minister and the Georgian leadership. The Russian delegation was led by the Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large, Igor Savolsky, while Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze was at the helm of the Georgian delegation.
