Georgia closes Ergneti checkpoint in response to Russia
By Keti Sikharulidze

The Messenger, Georgia
July 11 2006

In response to Russia’s unscheduled closure of the Zemo-Larsi crossing
on the Georgian-Russian boarder, Georgia has indefinitely closed the
Ergneti checkpoint in the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone.

"We cannot let people enter the territory of Georgia via the Roki
tunnel, we have no computers and we will not be able to determine who
is entering our country, everything is at the legal Zemo-Larsi border
crossing. People have only two ways to enter Georgia [from Russia]:
by airport or by the Zemo-Larsi checkpoint," said Zurab Arsoshvili,
the head of the Shida Kartli regional financial police.

The closure of Zemo-Larsi, which is the only legally operating border
crossing between Georgia and Russia, totally paralyzed traffic between
the two states. People then moved across to the Roki tunnel, which is
located in the breakaway region of South Ossetia and not controlled by
the Georgian authorities, leading to loud protests from the government.

"I do not know what to do, we have been standing here more then 24
hours, there are children here and one man who is dying, he needs
medical attention, he is in a critical condition," marshrutka (minibus)
passenger Mediko Kardava told Rustavi-2.

The Georgian side later opened the checkpoint, though before entering
Georgia people were required to undergo a special registration
procedure and document check.

Besides Georgian held up at the checkpoint there were Armenians, who
after the closure of Zemo-Larsi tried to get to Armenian via the Roki
tunnel. "We were robbed on the way to the Ergneti checkpoint, it was
something terrible, but here at the Georgian checkpoint we were well
received," another marshrutka passenger, Nodar Samoev told Rustavi-2.

The checkpoint was closed again after just two hours, though the
local population of the Ergneti gorge were allowed to pass.

The official reason for the closure of Zemo-Larsi was for urgent
repairs to be carried out, but State Minister for Conflict Resolution,
Goga Khaindrava, thinks that closure of Zemo-Larsiwas a deliberate
attempt to make people use the Roki tunnel.

"When the only land boarder is closed, people will try to find another
way, as they also want to live and breathe they will go through Roki
tunnel… this was the reason Zemo-Larsi was closed," Khaindrava told
Mze TV on Monday.

The Foreign Ministry described the action as a provocation, and
demanded the deadline of the completion of the repair works from the
Russian side.

"Georgia has not received any appropriate notification. The Russian
side informed us two hours before the closure of the checkpoint… The
Georgian side assesses this action of the Russian side as a violation
of their responsibilities, and expresses its protest in this regard,"
reads a statement posted on the ministry’s website on July 8.

At 7 o’clock on July 10, Merab Antadze, the deputy foreign minister,
announced that those returning from Russia would be allowed to cross
the Ergneti checkpoint until July 14. He said the checkpoint will be
opened because the travellers "were compelled to break the law by
the Russian government, thus their decision to use the Roki tunnel
was understandable."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress