The staff of the Group of Russian Forces in Transcaucasus (GRFT) is to be laid off a third. As reported by Vremya Novostey Russian newspaper, the corresponding directive has been received from the North-Caucasian military circuit. The process of reduction must not be applied to the military bases located in Georgian towns of Batumi and Akhalkalaki as well as in Armenian town of Gyumri. According to the source, the GRFT staff reduction is possible to become the first step toward the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia, what is very desirable for Tbilisi. Now the Georgian capital is cherishing hopes that the Russian bases will be the next ones to be withdrawn.