Armenia awaits Larsi checkpoint opening

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian has told Georgian Ambassador to Armenia Grigol Tabatadze that the opening of the Larsi checkpoint at the Russian-Georgian border will further increase Georgia’s role as a transit country and positively affect the development of the region's economy. On November 23 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told the Russian magazine Ogonek that negotiations over the opening of the Larsi checkpoint were being conducted in Yerevan.

As is known this checkpoint was closed by the Russians in July 2006 because reconstruction works needed to be undertaken on the Russian side. There are some rumours that whether to open the checkpoint or not will be decided by the end of this year. Armenia is vitally interested in the opening of this route as it is the only land connection between Armenia with Russia. Armenians do not hide the fact that from an economic and communications point of view the opening of this checkpoint is mostly important for the Armenian side.