"I would not like to offend our Georgian colleagues, but, as the saying goes, one shoulder of mutton draws another. And the Georgian party is seeking to get ownership of movables in addition to real estate assets," Chief of General Staff Yury Baluyevsky said.
According to the official, the answer is clear: the movable property belongs to Russia and cannot be transferred to Georgia.
"If they want to thwart the transfer of certain facilities, they will be responsible for this," the official stated.
Speaking on the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia, Baluyevsky said that the deadline had been fixed for the end of 2008.
"I do not want to elaborate on all the difficulties of the talks," he said adding that the deadline for the withdrawal was a compromise decision, proposed by the Russian party, first of all.
"By the compromise I mean that the Georgian party must assume the obligation to comply with the agreement signed by foreign ministries," the chief of general staff said.
Baluyevsky emphasized that Russia would do its best to fulfill every obligation under all the agreements reached.
"However, this is a reciprocal process, and I want to believe that the Georgian party will also do its best to fulfill its commitments concerning this agreement and additional documents," the official stated.
He said that these documents were being worked on by experts. "But I hope that the other party will comply with the agreement signed by the two foreign ministers," Baluyevsky stressed.
In accordance with the agreement on a gradual withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia, all military facilities but the very bases will be handed over to Georgia in 2005. In 2006 Russia will withdraw heavy equipment from Akhalkalaki (near Georgian-Armenian border). The Akhalkalaki base will be closed in the subsequent year. After the remains of heavy equipment are removed from Batumi (a port at the Black Sea) in 2008, the base in Batumi will also be closed.
