TBILISI, May 14 (RIA Novosti) - Georgia is changing the tone of its statements on the withdrawal of Russian bases. Gela Charkviani, press secretary of the Georgian president, said on Saturday that "certain progress has been registered" at the negotiations "and it would be correct to carry them on calmly and without much ado."
Georgia is set for a constructive dialogue with Russia, the press secretary said. "We must not allow certain forces to undermine the talks," he stressed.
Commenting on the State Duma address to the Russian leadership concerning the military bases in Georgia, Charkviani said that this document "will certainly not help improve Georgia-Russia relations."
The Russian deputies suggested that, should Georgia take unilateral steps with regard to the bases without consulting Russia, the Russian ambassador should be recalled for consultations, the issue of entry visas to Georgian citizens should be stopped, and the Georgian citizens staying in Russia without visas or in violation of the registration regime should be deported.
The State Duma also deems it necessary to deliver energy to Georgia at world prices and cut the volume of deliveries.
A total of 412 deputies voted for the address after Nino Burdzhanadze, the speaker of the Georgian parliament, made a statement that was assessed as blackmail in Russia.
Nino Burdzhanadze said that unless progress was made in the determination of the timeframe for the withdrawal of Russian bases by May 15, the Georgian parliament would take the harsh measures against the Russian military group that were stipulated in the March 10, 2005 resolution of the parliament.
In compliance with that resolution, the Russian bases in Batumi (Adzharia) and Akhalkalaki (on the border with Armenia) should be dismantled and pulled out of Georgia by January 1, 2006. (Moscow demands four years for their withdrawal or suggests transforming them into joint anti-terrorist centers.) The government of Georgia was instructed to take measures to speed up the withdrawal of the bases, including by halting the issue of visas to the Russian military and introducing a special regime of their movement in the country.
