Russia on Saturday began the pullout of its military equipment from Georgia _ a process that will take several years, officials said. A dozen military vehicles that left a Russian base in the Georgian Black Sea port of Batumi were scheduled to reach the border on Sunday, said Col. Vladimir Kuparadze, a deputy commander of the Russian forces in Georgia. The withdrawal was to start Friday, but it was delayed because of visa problems. The Russian military said that Georgian authorities had failed to issue licenses for the vehicles to be withdrawn and visas for their drivers to return to Georgia. Russian and Georgian officials solved the issue in talks Friday. After long and tense negotiations, Russia this year agreed to close the two bases, which are Soviet-era hangovers, by the end of 2008. The deal was a key victory for Georgia's Western-leaning president, Mikhail Saakashvili, according to a report from The Associated Press.
