ALEXEI MALASHENKO: UPPER LARS CHECKPOINT OPENING CAUCASIAN PROBLEM
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.03.2010 18:53 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yerevan-Moscow-Tbilisi space bridge on opening
of Upper Lars checkpoint in the light of Russian-Georgian-Armenian
relations was held in Yerevan on March 9.
"Opening of Upper Lars may be eyed as an attempt to improve the
current situation. It’s a Caucasian problem," said Alexey Malashenko,
a member of the Carnegie Moscow Center’s Research Council.
According to Sergey Markedonov, the head of the interethnic relations
department at Moscow’s Institute of Political and Military Analysis,
the ongoing process may help restore ties between countries, also
conveying an impulse to normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.
As to Armenian-Georgian relationship, Mr. Markedonov said it’s a signal
for Georgia to reconsider its policy toward the Armenian-populated
Javakheti region.
For his part, one of the Georgian opposition leaders, Georgi Khaindrava
said Armenia is the only country to benefit from opening of the
checkpoint. At that, he remarked that Russia opened Upper Lars to
supply its military base in Gyumri with armament.
"Improvement of Russian-Georgian relations is unlikely," said Alexander
Iskandaryan, director of Caucasus Institute. "It’s not improvement
but re-formatting of relations," he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
