Haykakan Zhamanak, Armenia
Dec 25 2009
Georgia opens border with Russia to restrain "separatism" in Javakheti
Russia and Georgia came to a final agreement on opening terrestrial
border between the two countries with Switzerland’s mediation
yesterday [24 December]. It is a question of the only border
checkpoint on Russian-Georgian border – Verkhniy Lars, which has been
closed since July 2006. As for deadlines for reopening the checkpoint,
the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry issued yesterday says
that it will officially be opened on 1 March 2010. Meanwhile, the
Georgian side agrees to open the border – dropping previous
preconditions for Moscow to cancel the embargo on imports of Georgian
vines, mineral waters, and agricultural products, which was imposed in
2006. The Georgian side made the decision to open the border with
Russia on 16 November – during a session of the Security Council
convened by [Georgian] President Mikheil Saakashvili. Saakashvili put
forward three arguments for opening the border, and one of them
directly refers to Armenia. According to Saakashvili, "Georgia should
not lose the status, role, and significance of a transit country for
countries in the region". It is supposed that by opening the border,
Georgia wants to preserve Armenia’s dependence on it in case of
possible opening of the Armenian-Turkish border in April 2010, and
this has not only financial, but also political importance for this
country.
In essence, this dependence will become a guarantee for Tbilisi, which
will make Javakheti Armenians renounce manifestations of separatism,
and the official Yerevan be interested in restraining manifestations
of separatism in Javakheti as it did previously – by cooperating with
the Georgian authorities. Armenia is showing great interest in opening
the Russian-Georgian border, because Armenia’s only terrestrial route
with Russia is ensured via Verkhniy Lars. Due to the closure of
Verkhniy Lars, cargo shipments from Armenia to Russia and in the
opposite direction were carried out via the Black Sea – by ferry
boats, which are incomparably more costly and time consuming. It is
expected that after opening the checkpoint, up to 40 per cent of cargo
shipments will be carried out via Verkhniy Lars.
[translated from Armenian]