MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI: BLOCKING UPPER LARS BORDER CONTROL POINT IS MORE HARMFUL
FOR ARMENIA THAN FOR GEORGIA
AZG Armenian Daily #131, 14/07/2006
Regional
The blocking of the traffic through the Kazbegi- Upper
Lars control point on the Russian-Georgian border by
the Russian party was a greater blow for Armenia than
for Georgia. Mikheil Saakashvili, President of
Georgia, said this at July 11 press-conference.
"Closing of the control point "Upper Lars" did not
affect the economy of Georgia, because Georgia exports
goods using another way. But it is bad for the people
who travel from one country to another. And it is
especially bad for Armenia as the main freight from
Russia was transported through "Upper Lars",
Saakashvili emphasized. It~Rs worth mentioning that on
July 8 the Russian frontier guards closed the north
part of the Georgian-Russian border on CP "Kazbegi-
Upper Lars". According to the official information,
the CP was closed in connection with repair works.
The authorities of Georgia made a decision to open a
temporary control point on July 10 near village
Ergneti of Tskhinvali region to let people who could
not enter Georgia from Russia through "Upper Lars"
enter the territory of the country. Many people trying
to enter Georgia reached the control point "Lower
Zaromag" on Russian side and entered Tskhinvali region
through Roki tunnel where there were no official
control points for crossing the Georgian-Russian
border.
By Nana Petrosian