Epress.am News from Armenia
Asked by a journalist why the Upper Lars checkpoint has closed and opened in the last 10 days or so, Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian, in a joint press conference with his Georgian counterpart, Grigol Vashadze in Yerevan today, said that it was for “technical reasons.”
“As it has been stated, the checkpoint is open or will open in the coming hours,” he said.
Vashadze confirmed his colleague’s remarks.
“As you understand, neither me nor my dear friend Edward Nalbandian do control our customs offices. But this question was brought to my attention by [the] Armenian delegation this morning. I immediately called Tbilisi. What I can tell to you, at this moment, [is] that the checkpoint is fully operational and there was not any kind of order, written or oral instruction, from Tbilisi to close that thing.
“If there is a technical failure, we will know that shortly, but the checkpoint is open and trust me, shortly I will have a pleasure to report to you that the first car crossed the border,” he said.