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Georgia Annuls Russian Military Transit Agreement
Parliament in ex-Soviet Georgia voted April 19 to annul an agreement which allowed Moscow to transport military equipment across the country to a base in neighboring Armenia.
The agreement was signed before war broke out between Georgia and Russia in 2008, and officials in Tbilisi said it was no longer appropriate after what they described as Moscow's "aggression" against their country.
"This agreement contradicts Georgia's national interests," Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze said.
The deal allowing land and air transit for Russian military personnel and cargo was agreed in 2006, when Moscow agreed to close two bases it had maintained in Georgia since the fall of the Soviet Union.
After the closures, Russia relocated military equipment to its base in Armenia, where parliament voted last week to allow Moscow to maintain its forces until 2044, ensuring the Kremlin continued influence in the southern Caucasus.
Thousands of Russian troops are also stationed in the disputed Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Osestia, which Moscow has recognized as independent states but Tbilisi regards as occupied territories.
Georgia Annuls Russian Military Transit Agreement - Defense News
Parliament in ex-Soviet Georgia voted April 19 to annul an agreement which allowed Moscow to transport military equipment across the country to a base in neighboring Armenia.
The agreement was signed before war broke out between Georgia and Russia in 2008, and officials in Tbilisi said it was no longer appropriate after what they described as Moscow's "aggression" against their country.
"This agreement contradicts Georgia's national interests," Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze said.
The deal allowing land and air transit for Russian military personnel and cargo was agreed in 2006, when Moscow agreed to close two bases it had maintained in Georgia since the fall of the Soviet Union.
After the closures, Russia relocated military equipment to its base in Armenia, where parliament voted last week to allow Moscow to maintain its forces until 2044, ensuring the Kremlin continued influence in the southern Caucasus.
Thousands of Russian troops are also stationed in the disputed Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Osestia, which Moscow has recognized as independent states but Tbilisi regards as occupied territories.
Georgia Annuls Russian Military Transit Agreement - Defense News
