Government Softens Stance over Outlawing Russian Bases

Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili said on May 13 that the Georgian side will not take ?radical steps? against the Russian military bases which stationed in Georgia in the ?nearest days,? as Moscow submitted new, unspecified proposals over the process of the withdrawal of bases from Batumi and Akhalkalaki.

?We should give talks a chance,? Irakli Okruashvili said at a news conference, which was held jointly with Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili.

?The talks are still underway. The Georgian Foreign Ministry has received new proposals from Moscow. We will discuss them and see how to act further,? Salome Zourabichvili said.
 
?It’s better to reach an agreement, but if we see that this process is being dragged out over time, we will not stay inactive,? Irakli Okruashvili noted.
 
?If we see that the talks are unpromising, naturally we will enforce the existing levers,? the Georgian Defense Minister added.

Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze reiterated on May 12 that Georgian lawmakers possess a strong determination to push the Georgian government to implement the Parliamentary resolution passed in March, envisaging the imposing of restrictions on Russian military bases stationed in Batumi and Akhalkalaki if no progress is made in talks over withdrawal of these bases before May 15.

No reaction by Nino Burjanadze, or any other parliamentarian, to these recent statements of Foreign and Defense Ministers has come yet.

Defense Minister Okruashvili himself adhered to a hard line position. He told Rustavi 2 television on May 12 that the Georgian side will no longer ?turn a blind eye? on those Russian servicemen which currently serve on Russian military bases and have no Georgian visas.

This softening of Tbilisi’s stance also comes after the Russian Parliament approved a statement on May 13 recommending that the Russian President and the government take counter measures if the Georgian side imposes restrictions on the Russian bases in Georgia.

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