Russia starts early garrison withdrawal from Georgian capital

Russia will pull out the Tbilisi garrison before the end of this year, ahead of the earliest of the withdrawal deadlines for its troops in the South Caucasus state, set for 2007. The defense minister decided on the early withdrawal in mid-October amid a diplomatic feud between the former Soviet allies.

"The first trainload of equipment and other property of the Tbilisi garrison left the Georgian capital for Armenia today," the Russian Group of Forces in the Caucasus said.

The next train carrying garrison property will leave for Russia via Azerbaijan on November 23, the statement said.

Russia will have to move a total of 387 personnel, about 100 items of equipment or hardware, and 350 metric tons of ammunition and property before December 31, which will require four trains. Part of the property, filling two trains, will remain in neighboring Armenia, and the other two trains will deliver garrison property to Russia.

"I cannot afford to leave our military in Tbilisi any longer thanks to the 'wise' policy pursued by Georgian leaders," Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said in October.

Russia and Georgia have been locked in a diplomatic crisis since September, when a few Russian army officers were briefly arrested in Georgia on spying charges. The move outraged Moscow, which has since cut travel and mail links to its neighbor, deported hundreds of Georgians, and cracked down on 'illegal' Georgian businesses.

Western-leaning Georgia has been uneasy about Russia's role in its breakaway regions, urging the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgian soil and an end to its peacekeeping mission in the conflict zones.

A group of Russian garrison officers will remain in Tbilisi to coordinate the withdrawal of other Russian troops from the southern city of Akhalkalaki and Batumi in western Georgia. The Akhalkalaki base is to be shut down by October 1, 2007, the Batumi base by October 1, 2008. RIA Novosti