Russia and South Ossetia are expected to...

The deal is to be signed between Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his South Ossetian counterpart Yury Tanayev, who is currently on a working visit to Moscow, said Alexei Kuznetsov.

During the talks the defense ministers are expected to sign "an Agreement between the Russian Federation and South Ossetia on a joint Russian military base on the territory of the South Ossetian republic," Kuznetsov said.

A similar agreement was signed in Moscow on February 17 with Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic. The agreement is for a 49-year term and can automatically be prolonged at 15-year intervals.

According to the agreement, the base will "protect Abkhazia"s sovereignty and security, including against international terrorist groups."

The military bases are expected to be built in Gudauta, Abkhazia, and Tskhinval, South Ossetia. Each base is likely to host up to 1,700 servicemen, T-62 tanks, light armored vehicles, S-300 air defense systems and

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