MOSCOW, April 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Russia may start to pull out from its Soviet-era military bases in Georgia this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

    "We have achieved considerable progress and our positions have come closer on the period of the (bases') presence and on the withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Georgia," Lavrov was quoted by Interfax as saying after talks with his Georgian counterpart Salome Zurabishvili.

    "We agree the withdrawal will be carried out in stages and, if we reach an agreement, will begin this year," Lavrov said.

    The pullout includes the withdrawal of equipment and the transformation of the bases into anti-terrorist centers for joint use, according to Interfax.

    Talks on the pullout of two Russian bases from Georgia have been in full swing in recent weeks. Zurabishvili arrived in Moscow Sunday for talks with Lavrov.

    Russia still has two military bases in Georgia after closing another two under an agreement reached in 1999. Moscow has insisted it needs at least three years to complete the withdrawal.

    Zurabishvili said upon his arrival that Georgia would welcome steps by Russia to complete the pullout by Jan. 1, 2008. Enditem