The Russian 62nd military base in Akhalkalaki was officially transferred to Georgia on June 27, the Georgian Defense Ministry said. 
 
Relevant papers were signed by Georgian Deputy Defense Minister Levan Nikoleishvili and the Commander of the Group of Russian Forces in the Transcaucasus (GRVZ), Andrei Popov, in Tbilisi.
 
The withdrawal is the culmination of a process begun when Tbilisi and Moscow signed an agreement in the Russsian city of Sochi in March 2006. 
 
Russian forces are also expected to complete a pullout from their base in Batumi by the end of 2008, in accordance with a bilateral agreement signed by the two countries.