Georgia signs deal to demilitarize bases

TBILISI, Georgia, July 7 (UPI) -- The Georgian Defense Ministry has signed an agreement to dismantle weapons and demilitarize former and current military bases in the country.

Georgian First Deputy Defense Minister Batu Kutelia signed a memorandum of understanding with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Under the memorandum Georgia agreed to help in the environmental recovery and demilitarization of former and current military bases around the country, the OSCE reported.

Kutelia and Ambassador Terhi Hakala, the head of the OSCE mission in Georgia, signed the agreement at the Georgian Defense Ministry headquarters in the capital, Tbilisi.

"The OSCE Mission and the Ministry of Defense of Georgia are cooperating in this important area, and this memorandum of understanding places this cooperation on a clear and firm foundation," Hakala said in a statement.

"The agreement will support the OSCE to provide assistance to the Ministry of Defense by enhancing their capacity in the area of demilitarization and creating local capacity for the future disposal of conventional munitions."