ARMENIA: YEREVAN HOPES FOR OPEN GEORGIAN – RUSSIAN BORDER

Georgian Daily
rticles/eav110309b.shtml
Nov 3 2009
Georgia

Armenia’s Transportation Ministry is expressing strong support for
the opening of Zemo Larsi, a Georgian-Russian border checkpoint that
has been closed since 2006. The crossing would be a lifeline for
Armenian exports.

In late October, Russian border authorities claimed they were in
talks with their Georgian counterparts about opening Zemo Larsi
to transit traffic. Russia is Armenia’s largest trading partner,
but overland rounds between the two countries have been blocked, due
to ongoing Georgian-Russian tension [For background see the Eurasia
Insight archive].

The Georgian Foreign Ministry has vehemently denied the reports.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze told a November 2 news
conference that her office has only held talks with Armenian officials
and would agree to an open border with Russia only as a courtesy
to Yerevan.

Susana Tonoian, an Armenian Transport Ministry spokesperson, said
that Yerevan will not pressure Moscow and Tbilisi to open the border,
the Kavkazsky Uzel news service reported on November 3.