RF signs agrmnt with Abkhazia, S Ossetia on military coop
MOSCOW. September 15. KAZINFORM According to an instruction of the Russian president, Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has signed agreements on cooperation in the military sphere with heads of the military departments of Abkhazia and South Ossetia Merab Kishmaria and Yuri Tanayev on Tuesday, Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass.
"In accordance with the documents, Russia is given the possibility to build, use and improve the military infrastructure and military bases on the territory of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as create a joint grouping of troops both in the peace time and the war time," press secretary of the Russian defence minister Alexei Kuznetsov said commenting on the signed agreements.
According to the agreements, the headquarters of the Russian military base in Abkhazia will be dislocated in Gudauty, and in South Ossetia - - in Tskhinvali. The strength of the personnel of each of the military bases, as Kuznetsov said, will amount to 1,700 people.
The agreements are signed for a period of 49 years with automatic prolongation for another five-year periods.
"At present, draft interstate agreements between the Russian Federation and the Republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on joint Russian military bases on the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are being worked out on the sidelines of the Russian Defence Ministry," Alexei Kuznetsov said, Kazinform cites Itar-Tass. See www.itar-tass.com for full version.