Georgia’s transit role key in talks with Armenia

The Messenger, Georgia
25 Oct. 2004

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili continued what could become a
Caucasus tradition on Friday, when he traveled to the Georgian-Armenian
border to meet Armenian President Robert Kocharian and escort him
back to Tbilisi. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev met Saakashvili
in the same way when the Georgian president visited Azerbaijan.

As the newspaper Alia reports, 28 Armenian businessmen traveled to
Georgia with Kocharian, partly to discuss their concerns regarding the
loaded trailers stuck at the Larsi check point on the Georgian-Russian
border.

After the Beslan tragedy, Russia closed the border at Larsi, saying
that this was intended as an anti-terrorism measure. Georgian analysts
believe the border closure was actually intended to put pressure on
Georgia, not least because the Roki tunnel which links North and
South Ossetia was not closed. But in reality the closing of Larsi
has actually damaged Armenia more than Georgia.

Although Roki remains open, the Georgian authorities refuse to let
traffic to pass that way, and two Armenian buses, which passed through
the Roki tunnel, have remained detained by Georgian border guards
for more than a month.

Kocharian’s visit coincided with the statement that Russia would open
Larsi checkpoint. Kocharian expressed his satisfaction with this but
Saakashvili underlined that this must be a lesson for everybody. Akhali
Taoba cites him as saying that all businessmen and exporters who depend
on Russia must be ready for the same thing to happen again. “We must
search for alternative markets, while maintaining the Russian market,”
he stated.

Despite Kocharian’s hope that Larsi check point will not be blocked
any longer, Armenians are obviously trying to find alternative routes
for cargo to be transported through Georgia to Russia. Minister of
Economy Kakha Bendukidze’s idea of privatizing the ports has attracted
several Armenians, who have expressed their willingness to buy or to
lease one terminal in Poti.

According to Georgian MP Van Baiburti, Armenian cargo which passes
through Georgia, whether through Poti port or Larsi, will bring Georgia
GEL 300-400 million income per annum, which is too important for the
country to miss out on.

The Armenian president expressed his satisfaction regarding cargo
exports via Georgia. “There is greater order on Georgian routes,
and cases of smuggling have decreased as well. It is clear that
the Georgian executive authority completely controls the current
situation,” 24 Saati quotes Kocharian as saying.

Nevertheless, even if Larsi does indeed reopen, there remain several
communication issues to be resolved. As Alia reports, the Manager
of the Railway Department said that during the visit the issue of
reducing tariffs on cargo was discussed.

Moreover, Kocharian’s stated that a particularly important issue
discussed during his visit was that of the restoration of the
Armenia-Russia railway via Abkhazia. “This issue is Georgia’s internal
business, but resolving it is a priority. Because there is now railway
movement between Sokhumi and Moscow, from the Armenian point of view
it is pointless blocking it. The restoration of the Abkhazia complete
railway movement will be economically very profitable for Armenia
and Georgia as well. Though given the current political situation,
Georgia’s position regarding this issue is clear to me,” the newspaper
Sakartvelos Respublika cites Kocharian as saying.

The Georgian government will not restore the railway connection between
Abkhazia and Georgia unless it receives guarantees of safety for those
Georgian refugees who return to Abkhazia. It was agreed during the
2002 Sochi meeting between Shevardnadze and Putin that the railway
between Abkhazia and Russia would be opened only in parallel with the
return of Georgian refugees to the Gali region of Abkhazia. Russia’s
decision to restore the railway unilaterally was partly motivated by
a desire to establish rail communications with Armenia.

As Georgia hopes to use this as a bargaining chip in its efforts to
restore jurisdiction over Abkhazia, it is unlikely that a rail link
between Abkhazia and Georgia will be restored as long as no progress
is made in resolving the frozen conflict.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress