During the meeting with Georgia’s Interim President Nino Burjanadze on December 25, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said that at least 11 years will be needed to close down its two military bases in Georgia, Russia media reported.
Georgia demands the Russian troops’ withdrawal from Batumi, Akhalkalaki and Gudauta military bases within three years.
At the OSCE Ministerial Council in Maastricht in early December U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called Russia for the fulfillment off its commitment to close down Batumi and Akhalkalaki bases, as envisaged by the 1999 OSCE Istanbul treaty.
Situation in the Abkhazian conflict zone was also discussed during the talks with the Russian Defense Minister.
As Sergei Ivanov said Russian peacekeeping troops, deployed in the conflict zone under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Independent States, guarantee peace in the regions.
Nino Burjanadze met the Russian Defense Minister after the talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nino Burjanadze made no comments after the two-hour long negotiations with Vladimir Putin.
It is anticipated that Nino Burjanadze will hold a news briefing upon her arrival in Tbilisi later on December 25.