Russia, Georgia fail to agree on bases pullout

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) May 17, 2005 -- MOSCOW, May 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Russia and Georgia have failed to reach any agreements on the withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Georgia by 2008, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said on Tuesday.

"No agreements on the withdrawal of the Russian bases by the year of 2008 have been reached" by Russian Foreign Minister SergeiLavrov and Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili at the meeting in Warsaw, Yakovenko was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

The spokesman said that at the talks in Warsaw, the two foreign ministers discussed a draft agreement proposed by Russia, which stipulates that the withdrawal of the Russian bases from Georgia should be completed in 2008.

Commenting on reports that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili claimed in Warsaw that Russia concede and agree to pull out its bases by the year of 2008, Yakovenko said the two sides agreed that delegations specializing on military issues will continue to discuss the draft at a meeting in Moscow or Tbilisi inthe near future.

The Russian bases have become a source of growing animosity, as Georgia's new pro-Western government tries to shake off Russian influence.

Russian officials have said they need at least four years to complete the withdrawal, while Georgian officials insist on closing the bases by January 2008.

The dispute recently reached new heights, with Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili boycotting last week's lavish VE Day celebrations in Moscow and US President George W. Bush raising the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.