Russia suspends Georgia troop pull-out after row

TBILISI, Sep 30 (Reuters) Russia has temporarily suspended a pull-out of its troops from two Russian bases in Georgia until the security situation has returned to normal, Russia's Defence Ministry said today.

Russia issued the announcement as most of its diplomatic staff prepared to leave Georgia after Tbilisi accused four Russian army officers of spying and sent police to surround Russian army headquarters in the capital.

''The pull-out has been suspended,'' the spokesman said, referring to the phased withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgia under a bilateral agreement.

This was because the security of troops could not be fully guaranteed as they crossed Georgian territory, he said, referring to the spying row.

The row, which is testing Russia's relations with the United States, erupted on Wednesday when the small, former Soviet state arrested the four Russian army officers, accused them of spying and deployed police around the army building in Tbilisi.

Russian officials today said a withdrawal of diplomats and their families from the Russian embassy in Tbilisi was continuing, leaving just a skeleton staff.

''Practically all of the embassy staff will be evacuated today and just a minimum number will remain,'' said embassy spokesman Mikhail Svirin.

''I am also packing up my boxes,'' Mr Svirin said and addd that a ''special flight from Moscow'' would arrive to take staff back to Russia today.

BOOSTING SECURITY Georgian sources say there are about 2,000 troops in the two remaining Russian army bases in Georgia.

These bases, relics of Soviet times, are situated in Batumi on the Black Sea and in Akhalkalaki, in the south near the border with Armenia.

The Russian Defence Ministry spokesman said until the situation in Georgia had normalised, Russian troops would boost security at the bases. Russia has said it will close them down and pull out all its troops by the end of 2008.

Georgia's relations with its old Soviet, and Tsarist, master Russia soured after President Mikhail Saakashvili came to power in the so-called ''Rose Revolution'' in 2003, preaching closer ties with the United States, European Union and a drive to join the NATO military alliance.

Russia sees the Caucasus as its own backyard and regards a push by the country of five million to join NATO as a threat to its interests.

Georgian police today continued to surround the four-storey, glass-and-concrete Soviet era building of the Russian army headquarters, where a fifth Russian officer sought by Georgia on spying charges was hiding.

A total of 83 people, including embassy employees and non-essential Russian army staff, flew back home yesterday after Moscow expressed concern for their security.

Since President Saakashvili came to power there has been a regular war of words between the two sides, usually focusing on two breakaway regions in Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, where separatist administrations say they want to secede to Russia.

REUTERS SHB BD1618