Moscow, 7 October: Russia has fully complied with all its obligations under the Istanbul agreement, something that the Russian leadership has declared on more than one occasion. So the USA's calculations that by means of manipulating the Adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE) they will "force" Russia out of Georgia are "completely groundless and illusory". ITAR-TASS was told this today by a high-ranking representative of the Russian Federation Defence Ministry, who was commenting on a statement by US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Stephen Rademaker.
The American diplomat declared in Moscow yesterday that "Russia must deal with the issue of Georgia". "The USA and NATO believe that only after these obligations, assumed by Moscow five years ago, are met will it be possible to talk of the ratification of the Adapted CFE treaty," he said. "So far we are not prepared to ratify this treaty."
"Russia's position remains unvarying," the Russian Federation Defence Ministry spokesman said. "We shall leave Georgia when we consider it necessary, when we reach a mutually-acceptable accord with the Georgian side on the withdrawal of our bases. At the same time, no opinions of third countries, including NATO ones, will be taken into account by us since the presence of Russian bases in Georgia is exclusively a matter for bilateral negotiations between Moscow and Tbilisi."
Under the Istanbul agreements, Russia pledged to pull out two of its bases, which it has already done, and also to start talks on the status of the military facilities remaining on Georgian territory.
===== Nu, zayats, pogodi!
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