From RIA Novosti: Russia and South Ossetia are expected to sign an agreement on a Russian military base in the former Georgian republic on Wednesday, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said.
The deal is to be signed between Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his South Ossetian counterpart Yury Tanayev, who is currently on a working visit to Moscow, said Alexei Kuznetsov. ..
A similar agreement was signed in Moscow on February 17 with Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic. The agreement is for a 49-year term and can automatically be prolonged at 15-year intervals. …
The military bases are expected to be built in Gudauta, Abkhazia, and Tskhinval, South Ossetia. Each base is likely to host up to 1,700 servicemen, T-62 tanks, light armored vehicles, S-300 air defense systems and various aircraft.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed on Monday a law on ratifying treaties with the former Georgian republics on joint border protection. Under the deals, South Ossetia and Abkhazia delegate to Russia the authority to secure their borders with Georgia. (photo: Yuri Kochetkov/EPA)
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