ARMENIAN CARGO ALREADY PASSING VIA UPPER LARS CHECKPOINT

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.03.2010 13:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The opening of the Upper Lars checkpoint is not
connected anyhow with normalization of Georgian-Russian relations,
Grigol Tabatadze , Georgian Ambassador to Armenia told a press
conference in Yerevan.

According to him, the relations between Tbilisi and Moscow will not
change until the issue of South Ossetia and Abkhazia is resolved. He
stressed that Georgia does not have much economic benefit from the
opening of the Upper Lars checkpoint and did it primarily for Armenia.

However, according to the Georgian diplomat, the only benefit of
Georgia is that the country will be able to transport their cargo
through Russia. "I know that the Armenian goods are already passing
via Upper Lars checkpoint," Tabatadze said.

Commenting on statements by the former Georgian state minister for
conflict resolution, a leader of the United Opposition, Georgia
Haindrava, that Russia opened the checkpoint in order "to supply
weapon to its military base in Gyumri" Tabatadze said: "Not a single
bullet will pass through the checkpoint"

The opening of the checkpoint does not threaten Georgia’ national
security. Before the opening the Georgian side has discussed the issue
within the National Security Council and all possible scenarios have
been evaluated, the Ambassador of Georgia in Armenia said.