An international conference on the issues of the closing in of the South Caucasian countries and the NATO is planned in Tbilisi in April 2004. As a source in the Georgian MFA reported to Vremya Novostey Russian newspaper, the Armenian, Georgian and Azerbaijani leadership as well as high rank representatives of the North Atlantic Alliance are expected to take part in the forum. In the words of founder of the US Committee of the NATO, president of the Transitional Democracies project Bruce Jackson, the prospects of the South Caucasian countries' entry to the North Atlantic Alliance may be determined during the next NATO summit to be held in Istanbul in 2004. In the opinion of the US politician the "logical term" for Georgia's entry to the Alliance can be the year of 2009. According to NV, the major problem on this path is the presence of Russian military bases in Georgia. A source in the Georgian MFA reported that the other day a recurrent note for holding talks on the withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Akhalkalaki and Batumi was issued to the Russian foreign policy department. The Russian party states that the present operation will take 11 years while Georgia supposes three years will be enough time.