PRIME MINISTER MARGARIAN DENOUNCES RUSSIA’S CLOSURE OF BORDER CHECKPOINT WITH GEORGIA

Armenpress

YEREVAN, JULY 10, ARMENPRESS: Prime minister Andranik Margarian said
officials in Yerevan were negotiating with Russian counterpart to urge
them to keep a border checkpoint on the border wth Georgia open at
least until the end of this month not to hamper Armenian businessmen
to take Armenian agricultural goods to Russia. He said this broder
checkpoint was no less important for Armenia than for Georgia.

"I would not like to look for political motives behind Moscow’s
decision to close the border checkpoint, but one thing is clear. In
accordance with the Russian-Georgian Agreement on Customs Control and
Border Checkpoints, the sides shall notify each other of restriction
of movement caused by repair works at the border checkpoints no later
than three months before the commencement of such works, which was
not observed concerning this case and therefore, the Georgian side
could not warn Armenia… Diplomats are working to settle the problem,
let us wait and see what they may attain, but the situation is very
difficult," he said.

Margarian said the closure hits primarily Armenia because Georgia
does not export goods to Russia after it imposed a ban on Georgian
goods. Georgian prime minister Zurab Nogaideli said actually the
border checkpoint is Armenia’s. He slammed Russian authorities for
failing to warn Georgia as stipulated by the agreement.