ARMENIA-GEORGIA CUSTOMS CHECK POINTS BECOME STRICTER

Panorama.am
20:38 18/10/2007

In the framework of sessions including a delegation of Georgia’s
foreign minister, Zurab Noghaiteli, and an Armenian-Georgian
intergovernmental committee, came to agreement on a 150 kilometer
stretch of the border, while work is continuing to decide the
exact border on five different sections, making up a total of 75
kilometers. But head of the Gugark customs point, Armen Movsisyan,
said that the dividing up of the border lines, certain sub-checkpoints
ended up a distance from the border. These included the Jiliza station,
of the major checkpoint Ayrum-Jilza, and the Privolnaye station,
of the major point of Gogavan-Privolnaye.

Basically, the Jiliza station was five kilometers distance, and
Privolnaye, 15 kilometers. As was informed by the customs service
press department, it is for this reason a new customs house is planned
for the Privolnaye checkpoint, and at the last Armenian-populated
village on the border, Jiliza, a new customs house will be built for
the Jiliza substation. Also, as in the Shirak and Sissian customs
points, in Gugark a new antenna system will be installed, known as
"TWM," which uses up-to-date computerized systems that automatically
and quickly process customs data. "This will make it impossible to
falsify customs documents," Movsisyan stated.

The two countries also agreed to shorten the length of time needed
for the customs process for trains that cross the borders, as well
as a unified system of conducting customs business. Concerning this,
Armenians and Georgians used a system of seals (stamps) 70-80 times,
on every train car on the Yerevan-Batum line, with a similar system
planned for the Yerevan-Tbilisi line.