Russia will not dramatize closure of Georgian border crossing – Popov
Interfax, Russia
July 11 2006
MOSCOW. July 11 (Interfax-AVN) – The Russian authorities have no
intention of overly dramatizing Georgia’s decision to close down a
checkpoint in the village of Ergneti, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s
Ambassador at Large Yury Popov told Interfax on Tuesday.
"We hope that all problems will be sorted out as part of dialogue. We
see no grounds to overly dramatize the situation," he said.
"We are keeping a close eye on the situation and maintaining dialogue
with Georgia. But I would not like to jump to any conclusions,"
the diplomat said.
Several dozen Russian and Armenian citizens were unable to cross into
Georgia via the breakaway province of South Ossetia after Georgian
police shut the Ergneti checkpoint.
Law enforcement agencies will not allow the Transcaucasian highway,
which crosses South Ossetia, to be used for communications with Russia
instead of the closed Georgian Military Road, a Georgian Interior
Ministry source told Interfax.
Only people who have Georgian transit visas will be allowed to
cross the border via the Ergneti checkpoint as an exception, Gela
Zoziashvili, the Georgian president’s deputy envoy to the Shida Kartli
region, said.
"The road from Russia to Georgia via the Roki tunnel is illegal because
this section of the border has no official Georgian checkpoints. For
this reason, citizens of other countries cannot cross into Georgia
via South Ossetia," he said.
Everybody wishing to visit Georgia can obtain a Georgian entry-visa
at the airport upon arrival, he said. tm la