Speaker of the Georgian Parliament David Usupashvii has refuted Armenian Minister of Transport and Communication Gagik Beglaryan's statement that Yerevan and Tbilisi are negotiating to unblock the road via South Ossetia, which would become an alternative to the Georgian Military Road, Vestnik Kavkaza reports.
Usupashvili says that at present there is only one checkpoint between Georgia and Russia and it is located in Upper Lars on the Georgian Military Road.
"In general, the OSCE and all international organizations are doing everything possible so that the roads and tunnels could be used for civil purposes only, not for the battle tanks or other military hardware. The more roads link us to the world, the better for Georgia. As regards the specified talks, I can say nothing about them," Sputnik Georgia quotes Usupashvili as saying.
To recall, Armenia's Minister of Transport and Communication Gagik Beglaryan stated yesterday that Armenia is holding negotiations with Georgia and Russia aimed at opening an alternative road to Russia through the territory of South Ossetia, "As of today, there is an opportunity to open a road through the territory of South Ossetia. The road is in good condition", the Minister informed, noting that the negotiations are held simultaneously both with Tbilisi and Moscow as "in this case it depends very little on Armenia", he noted.
To note, Gana Yanovskaya, Spokesperson of the South Ossetian President, also said that South Ossetia has not received any request from Armenia related to transportation of cargo trucks via its territory. "We have not received such a request", she said.
To recall, on June 23 Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Lars road was closed because of debris flow. The only overland road linking Armenia to Russia lies through the Upper Lars checkpoint on the Russian-Georgian border.