Washington briefing: Armenia mediates as Russia and Georgia talk of opening border

by Emil Sanamyan

Published: Friday November 20, 2009

Eka Tkeshelashvili.

Washington - Georgia has agreed to open its main border crossing with Russia, according to media reports. Prior to its closure more than three years ago, the Upper Lars crossing was heavily used by trucks and passenger buses traveling between Armenia and Russia via Georgia.

The Georgian president's national security advisor Eka Tkeshelashvili said on November 13 that the border opening would serve both Georgian and Armenian interests, Civil.ge reported.

Russia closed the crossing in 2006 as it moved to introduce other sanctions against Georgia, including a ban on its imports to Russia and the cancellation of direct flights. The sanctions were in response to arrest of Russian diplomats on espionage charges.

Last year, Russian-Georgian tensions culminated in a brief war over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Russia has since recognized as independent states and taken under its protection.

Georgian-Russian rhetoric remains acrimonious and formal negotiations over former Georgian provinces, held in Geneva, have proved fruitless so far.

But low-key talks held with Armenian mediation appear to have begun to produce results.

The talks in Armenia are believed to have been underway for several months, with Russia indicating at the end of 2008 and confirming this May its readiness to discuss reopening Upper Lars.

Earlier this year, Armenia's national carrier Armavia became the first airline to resume flying directly between Tbilisi and Moscow.

On November 2 Georgia's Foreign Ministry said that while no direct talks were held with Russia, "consultations were held in Yerevan" with Armenian officials, who in turn talked to Russians.

On November 13, the Georgian government said it was dropping its earlier precondition that Russian sanctions against Georgian imports be removed before the border is opened.

An agreement on opening the Russia-Georgia border appears to have been reached in principle but technical details and actual timing of the reopening remain unclear.