Russian MoD Softens Stance: 3-4 Years Needed for Withdrawal

Russian news agency Interfax quotes chief of the Department for International Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Defense Col.Gen. Analtoly Mazurkevich as saying Russia would need three-four years for withdrawal of its bases from Georgia.

“This is the official position of the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry and we are planning to adhere to it in the course of upcoming negotiations [with Georgia],” Col.Gen. Mazurkevich said.

This heralds a significant softening of the Russian position, as its original timeline was 11 years, while on the eve of failed consultations in February 2005 Russian officials spoke about the need for 5-7 years for withdrawal of its bases.

Earlier today, an unnamed source from the Russian Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti that 3-4 years are needed to re-shape the Mountaineer Brigade of North Caucasus, where most of the servicemen currently stationed in Georgia would be relocated.

“The presence of our bases in Georgia forever is impossible. But we can not pull out our servicemen into “nowhere.” We will go to the Caucasus, where Russia”s new Mountaineer Brigades will be established. Formation of these brigades will happen after three-four years,” the unnamed source in the Russian Defense Ministry, described by the RIA Novosti as “a top-level official,” said.

He also said that the venue of deployment of these Mountaineer Brigades in Russia”s North Caucasus region is not defined yet.

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