Top Russian Military Reiterates 3-4 Years Needed for Bases Pullout

The Russian news agency Itar-Tass quoted Deputy Commander of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Col. Gen. Alexander Rukshin as saying that the timeframe of three to four years ?is the limit? that Russia can agree on for withdrawal of its troops from Georgia.

On March 10, Chief of the Department for International Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Defense Col. Gen. Anatoly Mazurkevich announced that Russia would need three-four years to withdraw its bases from Georgia.

?This timeframe of the pullout of our bases from Akhalkalaki [Samtskhe-Javakheti region] and Batumi [Adjara], announced by the official representative of the [Russian] Defense Ministry, is the minimum required term. This is the limit that Russia can agree to for a civilized pullout of our servicemen and military hardware from Georgia, and for their [re]deployment in new places in Russia,? Col. Gen. Alexander Rukshin said.

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