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Russian-Georgian Border Crossing Reopened

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  • Russian-Georgian Border Crossing Reopened

    RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN BORDER CROSSING REOPENED

    Radio Netherlands
    http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/russ ian-georgian-border-crossing-reopened
    March 1 2010

    The sole border crossing between Russia and Georgia, called Verkhny
    Lars in Russian and Darial Gorge in Georgian, reopened at 7:00 am
    local time this morning following a brief ceremony.

    The crossing had been closed for three years. The re-opening is the
    result of international mediation. The border crossing is the only
    one that that does not entail travelling through the Russian-backed
    rebel Georgian regions of South Ossetia or Abkhazia. Russia closed
    the checkpoint in 2006 in retaliation against Tbilisi for making
    overtures to the West.

    The re-opening of the border crossing is seen as a first modest
    step towards improved relations between Russian and Georgia. The
    countries currently have no diplomatic relations and no air traffic
    flies between them.

    In the summer of 2008, an armed conflict took place between Russia and
    Georgia. The Russians attacked when the Georgians tried to recapture
    the renegade region of South Ossetia.

    The re-opening of the crossing is expected primarily to benefit
    Armenia, which had relied on it for its trade with Russia, its main
    economic partner.
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