We Should Better Not Politicize the Operation of Upper Lars Checkpoint: Gagik Aghajanyan

"We have shipped loads through that [Upper Lars] checkpoint, we are shipping now and we will ship in the future too," Executive Director of national cargo services company Apaven, Gagik Aghajanyan said at a press conference today, referring to recent statements on whether or not is the Upper Lars Kazbeki checkpoint useful for Georgia and Armenia.

Earlier Georgian experts said that the opening of the Upper Lars Kazbeki checkpoint on the Russo-Georgian border is beneficial neither for Georgia nor for Armenia but rather for Russia to supply weaponry to its military base in Armenia's second-largest town of Gyumri.

According to Aghajanyan the Armenian side is very much concerned about such statements as the Upper Lars Kazbeki checkpoint is very important for the Armenian freight shipping companies.

At the same time he mentioned that he did not want to politicize the issue, which he deemed as impossible.

"No single representative of the Georgian authorities has made a statement [about Upper Lars] until today. It is some
[Georgian] oppositionists who are speaking about it today which should not worry us at all. The only official viewpoint has been represented by Georgia's ambassador to Armenia who said that the checkpoint has been opened for Armenia and that it will be closed down should it serve a third purpose," said Aghajanyan.

Further Aghajanyan dismissed claims that Russia could transport weaponry through Upper Lars Kazbeki checkpoint, pointing to the modern equipments that the checkpoint currently has.

"There is no need to worry. It is just a topic speculated by some people," explained Aghajanyan, hoping that the quantity of loads shipped through that checkpoint will increase from now on as from May 22 also trucks able to carry more than 10 tones of loads are allowed to pass through this checkpoint.