YEREVAN. – Georgia’s closing of the Upper Lars checkpoint at the Armenian-Georgian border, in early November, was not conditioned on political motives, Armenia’s International Transporters’ Association President Herbert Hambardzumyan stated on Friday.  

In his words, however, there were problems. First, the Georgian side did not place announcements, at the checkpoint, as to when it will be closed, and that is why the Armenian drivers were caught unprepared. Second, this year the Poti-Novorossiysk ferryboat did not operate for long, and as a result the trucks had no alternative. And third, the winter came too early this year, and as a result close to 200 Armenian trucks had to wait on the roads between Rostov-on-Don and Upper Lars.  

But the snowfall ceased on December 2 and 3, and this enabled the trucks to be towed.

At present, there is no pile-up of vehicles at the area of the said border checkpoint.