"The Russian military bases will finally pull out in compliance with the existing agreements within 2008, as Russian officials previously said on a number of occasions," he said. It is extremely expensive to withdraw an overseas military base. Besides, the Russian budget for this year has not earmarked whatever allocations for the purpose, while next year's budget will envisage pullout funding. A greater part of Batumi base property will be removed by sea, and of Akhalkalaki by trucks, he added.
This and the two following years, preceding the deadline 2008, will see the pullout of ten or so military facilites outside the bases, equipment and technology maintenance works, diverse combines, kindergartens and other vital projects Russian soldiers were using, or are using as before.
"We are no longer using a major part of those projects. The host country has them in control since long ago. Their transfer to Georgia will be, in fact, a mere formality to fix in a document," the official said. "As for the two military bases, in Batumi and Akhalkalaki, which account for the bulk of our military presence in Georgia, these will not be pulled out before 2008. We are not fleeing Georgia. It all comes in compliance with the existing agreements."
