Georgia unaffected by Russian border post closure – premier Noghaideli

Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
8 Jul 06

[Presenter] Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli has requested the Georgian
Foreign Ministry to contact their Russian counterparts and ask for an
explanation [of the closure by the Russian side of the Qazbegi-Zemo
Larsi checkpoint on the Georgian-Russian border]. Noghaideli is
convinced that the closing of Larsi [checkpoint] will have a more
negative impact on Armenia than on Georgia. Zurab Noghaideli said
this at a business forum in Batumi which the Georgian and Armenian
prime ministers are attending.

[Noghaideli] Restoration and repair work are not usually carried out
without a preliminary agreement in normal situations. Incidentally, I
want to tell you that as Georgia virtually exports nothing to Russia,
it is first and foremost Armenia that has been affected the most,
if we are speaking in economic terms. Accordingly, I have notified
the Armenian prime minister and they too will react to this. However,
I want to reiterate that we will look into this issue and will respond
to it in an appropriate manner.