ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY RECEIVES NO INFORMATION ABOUT OPENING OF
VERIN LARS BORDER PASS BY RUSSIA

YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Foreign Ministry has
not received any information from the appropriate bodies of the
Russian Federation about the opening of the Verin Lars (Upper Lars)
border pass. NT was informed about it from the acting spokesman for
the RA MFA Vladimir Karapetian.

To recap, according to the August 24 issue of the daily "Azg", Russia
intends to open the Verin Lars border pass for 10 days. The same source
reported that Georgian mass media explained this intention of Russia
by "the circumstance of providing the Armenians who are on the on the
border with the opportunity to reach Armenia through Georgia". At
the same time, it was noted that as the Georgian newspaper "Akhali
Taoba" put it, "the Russian side’s decision to open the border pass
for Armenians was taken as an offence by the Georgian authorities
that refused to open the border pass from their side."

To recap, Russia closed the Verin Lars border pass during the first
ten days of July, explaining this step by the necessity to carry out
repairs. NT was informed on July 10 from the press service of the
RA Ministry of Transport and Communication that the border pass will
open no sooner than in a month.