Russia ends its military presence
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Russia said it had closed its last base in Georgia, formally ending its military presence there after more than two centuries.
Gen. Andrei Popov, commander of military forces in the Caucasus, signed documents handing to Georgia the territory of its base at Batumi in the Adzharia region.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili reached agreement with Russia in 2005 for the closure of the bases.
Georgia, brought into the Russian Empire at the start of the 19th century, enjoyed a brief period of independence after the Bolshevik Revolution but was occupied by Soviet forces in 1921. It declared independence in 1991.
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