Moscow/Agency Caucasus – Russia will have its military bases fully built by 2009 in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Russia’s military bases would host a deployment of 3700 soldiers after they were completely built up in the two Caucasian regions, said Russia’s top military officer Nikolay Makarov.
"Joint agreements were made in line with a decision by Russia’s President Dimitri Medvedev as well as with a request from Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Both Abkhazia and South Ossetia will host military bases where a total of 7 600 Russian soldiers will be located. Those bases will, above all, be intended to save our interests in the two Caucasian republics," he told reporters.
Makarov also said that the military bases the places of which had already been specified would be fully equipped by the end of 2009. Russia would deploy its soldiers in Gudauta, a military base where its soldiers were formerly deployed, said Sergey Shamba, Foreign Minister of Abkhazia. The base needs to be checked up before it gets ready to host 3 700 soldiers.
OSRDY/ÖZ/FT
