Baku and Moscow have reached a preliminary agreement on carrying additional Russian military machinery and equipment from Georgia via the territory of Azerbaijan, a source in Azerbaijan's Embassy to Georgia informed Trend.
Notably, in the beginning of November, Gen. Alexander Baranov, Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Caucasian Military Okrug (Region) of the Russian Forces, stated that the units of the Russian Army would be withdrawn from Georgia by the end of this year, though previously they were expected to be withdrawn only by the end of 2008. All the military sub-units, headquarters, machinery, and equipment are expected to leave the Georgia territory for the Russian and Armenian territory by the end of the year. In order to re-deploy the forces, military machinery, equipment, and ammunition, four special trains have been ordered. Two of them will head for Russia, the other two will be sent to Armenia, to the Russian territory Military Base 102.
According to the Embassy in Tbilisi, the Azerbaijani party gave its consent to withdraw the Russian military machinery and equipment via Azerbaijan. At present, the exact date when the military machinery and equipment to be withdrawn from the Headquarters of the Group of Russian Forces located in Tbilisi is under consideration. All the machinery and equipment is expected to be withdrawn from Georgia by the end of this year.