NATO SEC. GEN.: DESTINATION OF BASES BEING WITHDRAWN FROM GEORGIA NOT THAT IMPORTANT

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer considers Russia and Georgia reaching an agreement over the time of withdrawal of Russian military bases from Batumi and Akhalkalaki priority, reported the Yerkir newspaper. When commenting on the opportunity of sending part of the Russian military bases from Georgia to Armenia, the NATO Sec. Gen. noted, «at the current stage it is not so important where the bases being withdrawn from the territory of Georgia will be located, as the Istanbul agreement of 1999 to be fulfilled.»