Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have agreed to hold negotiations on the terms of the withdrawal of Russia's military bases from Georgia in days, Saakashvili's press secretary Gela Charkviani announced in Tbilisi on Wednesday.

The press secretary told a press conference that the negotiations between representatives from Russia and Georgia are to take place on March 23-24, the Interfax news agency reported.

Lavrov and Saakashvili reached the agreement during a telephoneconversation made on Tuesday night, Charkviani said.

The issue of the Russian bases in Georgia is one of several that have soured relations between Moscow and Tbilisi, where a US-backed government took power last year promising to work toward NATO membership.

Russia had four military bases in the territory of Georgia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and two of them have been withdrawn.

Last Thursday, Georgia's parliament approved a draft resolution,urging the government to set a deadline for Russia to withdraw itstwo remaining military bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki.

Under the resolution, if Tbilisi and Moscow fail to agree by May 15 on the date of the withdrawal, Georgia will demand that Russia terminate the functioning of these facilities by Jan. 1, 2006.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared on the other day that Moscow is ready to resume talks with Tbilisi on the timetable of the withdrawal of the two bases from the Georgian territory.

Source: Xinhua