Moscow, Tbilisi Consider Setting up Joint Anti-Terrorism Center

Russia confirmed on June 4 that the proposal over setting up a Russian-Georgian joint, anti-terrorism center, which would replace Russia?s two military bases in Georgia, is under consideration at the moment.

?The proposal considers abandoning the use of the facilities and other technical capacities of the military bases in exchange for setting up a joint, anti-terrorism center,? spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Aleksander Yakovenko said in a statement issued on June 4.

?The proposal is just an idea at the moment and needs further consideration; hence it is difficult to talk about the details now,? he added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry official also said that the issue was discussed during the visit of Georgia Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania to Moscow in late May.

In the wake of her talks with the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington D.C. on June 1, Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili voiced a new initiative and made the proposal to Russian authorities, offering to set up a joint, anti-terrorist center in Georgia in exchange for the pulling out the military bases.
 
?I think an innovative, even revolutionary approach is needed in order to solve this problem in the shortest period of time,? Salome Zourabichvili said in a June 4 interview with the Russian news agency Itar-Tass.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry issued an appeal on May 31 urging Russian authorities to agree to a new round of negotiations on military issues in Tbilisi on June 10-11. Moscow has yet to respond to this request.