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GEORGIA SET TO REFUSE ENTRY TO FOREIGNERS TRAVELLING VIA SOUTH OSSETIA
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
14 Oct 04
(Presenter) Everyone must realize that Ergneti (village on South
Ossetia's border with the rest of Georgia) is not Georgia's official
border post. This is Georgia's official position.
The presidential representative in the Shida Kartli region, Mikheil
Kareli, today commented on the detention of an Armenian bus at the
Ergneti checkpoint. He said that bus passengers could only enter
Georgia from Russia via the Lars checkpoint.
As regards the Roki tunnel (linking South Ossetia with Russia), the
presidential representative said the Georgian side could not control
it, so it would not allow foreigners to enter the country through
that tunnel. If such a precedent is allowed, it is possible that a
new smuggling route via the Tskhinvali region will be established,
Kareli said.
Georgian law-enforcement officers had detained a passenger bus which
had passed through the Roki tunnel en route from Russia to Armenia
for breaching immigration rules.
(Kareli) The Georgian authorities made a decision that the official
ports of entry (for travellers from Russia) would be Lars, Tbilisi
airport and the port of Poti. Therefore all foreigners, irrespective
of whether they are Armenians or Azeris, should only use these official
ports of entry. We will not allow cargoes to enter Georgia through the
Roki tunnel for the simple reason that the Georgian authorities are
still unable to control the Roki tunnel. Meanwhile, Russia appears
to be keen to ensure that all traffic goes through that tunnel so
that the Ossetian separatists get richer.
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
14 Oct 04
(Presenter) Everyone must realize that Ergneti (village on South
Ossetia's border with the rest of Georgia) is not Georgia's official
border post. This is Georgia's official position.
The presidential representative in the Shida Kartli region, Mikheil
Kareli, today commented on the detention of an Armenian bus at the
Ergneti checkpoint. He said that bus passengers could only enter
Georgia from Russia via the Lars checkpoint.
As regards the Roki tunnel (linking South Ossetia with Russia), the
presidential representative said the Georgian side could not control
it, so it would not allow foreigners to enter the country through
that tunnel. If such a precedent is allowed, it is possible that a
new smuggling route via the Tskhinvali region will be established,
Kareli said.
Georgian law-enforcement officers had detained a passenger bus which
had passed through the Roki tunnel en route from Russia to Armenia
for breaching immigration rules.
(Kareli) The Georgian authorities made a decision that the official
ports of entry (for travellers from Russia) would be Lars, Tbilisi
airport and the port of Poti. Therefore all foreigners, irrespective
of whether they are Armenians or Azeris, should only use these official
ports of entry. We will not allow cargoes to enter Georgia through the
Roki tunnel for the simple reason that the Georgian authorities are
still unable to control the Roki tunnel. Meanwhile, Russia appears
to be keen to ensure that all traffic goes through that tunnel so
that the Ossetian separatists get richer.