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No Route Out: Commercial transport stranded at crucial Lars Pass; only
north-south link
NEWS | 14.12.12 | 15:23
Photolure
By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
The only highway connecting Armenia with the rest of the Commonwealth
of Independent States (CIS) is closed for weather conditions, the
official reports says, while cargo companies believe the reason is
Russian-Georgian tensions.
Armenian Ministry of Transport and Communications reports that
Stepantsminda-Lars highway on the Russian-Georgian border - the key
trade highway linking Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Russia - is blocked
for truck trailers, semi-trailers and buses larger than 30-seaters.
The ministry does not have data on how many Armenian trucks are stuck
at Upper Lars right now and doesn't know when the road will be
available to them.
Christine Khanjyan, manager of BiaynaTrans international shipping
company operating in Armenia since 2004, told ArmeniaNow that for
three days the company's four vehicles are stuck there, one with cargo
to Russia, the other three are returning to Armenia.
`The truck drivers say snow is not being cleaned fast enough, the grit
salt spreading vehicles are not allowed to work, which suggests that
it is the deteriorated Georgian-Russians relations blocking the road,
rather than the weather,' says Khanjyan, adding that although the
delayed shipping might not hurt the economy, customers suffer damage
by not receiving goods that might, under normal conditions, have
already been sold at retail.
A representative of NeoTrans international freight forwarder company
performing worldwide services told ArmeniaNow that although they know
the road is blocked, their truck will be coming from Russia through
that road.
`What can we do, there are other ferry roads via the Ukraine or
Novorosiysk, but it is multiple times more expensive, which makes it
pointless, so we have no other way, but adjust to the weather
conditions and Russian-Georgian whims,' says the representative,
adding that the snowstorms in that area are usually strong and there
have been cases when the road turned impassable three minutes after it
had been cleaned.
north-south link
NEWS | 14.12.12 | 15:23
Photolure
By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
The only highway connecting Armenia with the rest of the Commonwealth
of Independent States (CIS) is closed for weather conditions, the
official reports says, while cargo companies believe the reason is
Russian-Georgian tensions.
Armenian Ministry of Transport and Communications reports that
Stepantsminda-Lars highway on the Russian-Georgian border - the key
trade highway linking Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Russia - is blocked
for truck trailers, semi-trailers and buses larger than 30-seaters.
The ministry does not have data on how many Armenian trucks are stuck
at Upper Lars right now and doesn't know when the road will be
available to them.
Christine Khanjyan, manager of BiaynaTrans international shipping
company operating in Armenia since 2004, told ArmeniaNow that for
three days the company's four vehicles are stuck there, one with cargo
to Russia, the other three are returning to Armenia.
`The truck drivers say snow is not being cleaned fast enough, the grit
salt spreading vehicles are not allowed to work, which suggests that
it is the deteriorated Georgian-Russians relations blocking the road,
rather than the weather,' says Khanjyan, adding that although the
delayed shipping might not hurt the economy, customers suffer damage
by not receiving goods that might, under normal conditions, have
already been sold at retail.
A representative of NeoTrans international freight forwarder company
performing worldwide services told ArmeniaNow that although they know
the road is blocked, their truck will be coming from Russia through
that road.
`What can we do, there are other ferry roads via the Ukraine or
Novorosiysk, but it is multiple times more expensive, which makes it
pointless, so we have no other way, but adjust to the weather
conditions and Russian-Georgian whims,' says the representative,
adding that the snowstorms in that area are usually strong and there
have been cases when the road turned impassable three minutes after it
had been cleaned.