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Gyumri - Akhalkalaki - Batumi Highay: Benefits And Further Prospects

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  • Gyumri - Akhalkalaki - Batumi Highay: Benefits And Further Prospects

    GYUMRI - AKHALKALAKI - BATUMI HIGHAY: BENEFITS AND FURTHER PROSPECTS
    Vardan Grigoryan

    Hayots Ashkhar Daily
    02 Oct 2008
    Armenia

    During President Serge Sargsyan's visit to Georgia, an agreement was
    reached for the reconstruction and modernization of the mountainous
    highway extending from Javahk to Ajaria over the territory of
    Akhaltskhe. Let's note that this highway which has a strategic
    importance for Armenia.

    As we know, Batumi lies at a distance of just 330 kilometers from the
    Armenian border, but the Ajarian section of the highway extending
    along the Georgian-Turkish border and reaching Batumi via the
    territory of Samtskhe-Javakhetti becomes impassable during the winter
    months. Starting its way from Akhaltskhe, a road junction which plays
    a crucial role in the region, it passes across the region of Adigen,
    then continues its way to the settlements of Khoulo and Shouakhev,
    (mountainous Ajaria) and finally reaches Batumi.

    However, despite the difficulties related to the locality, this
    significantly reduces the distance between Armenia and that Georgian
    sea gate which has, up to date, communicated with Armenia via the
    Sadakhlo - Tbilisi - Batumi railroad.

    As shown by the Russian-Georgia armed conflict, neither the highway
    extending to Western Georgia and Ajaria via the territories of
    Gori and Khashuri nor the parallel railway are reliable enough
    for being considered roads of int erstate importance. The border
    of South Ossetia lies at a very short distance from here. Besides,
    the groups of international observers are going to be deployed along
    the Georgian-Ossetian border, more specifically, in the section of
    the highway lying at a short distance from Gori.

    It's clear that in such conditions not only Georgia but also our
    country may become faced with a lot of "unpleasant surprises"
    in future.

    Such surprises may become perilous, especially during the winter
    months, because in case of the closure of the highway or railway, it
    will no longer be possible to use any well-constructed road opening
    its way to the Black Sea.

    The thing is that it very often becomes necessary to use either of
    the routes leading to Khoulo-Shoulakhev or Khashouri in order to
    continue the way to Potti or Batumi from the well-constructed highway
    extending to Akhaktskhe. Using the former route will become dangerous
    in case of new complications in the political-military situation in
    the region. And the latter route, as we already mentioned, becomes
    almost impassable in winter.

    Hence, the modern and well-constructed road extending from Javahk
    to Ajaria may essentially neutralize the impending risks to Armenia
    and become the second overland corridor for our country. That's why,
    relevant programs aimed at constructing a railroad in this direction
    were elaborated even in the Soviet times, but the Georgian Gove
    rnment was against their implementation. A similar program aimed at
    modernizing the highway was also meeting with the resistance of the
    independent Georgian government for several years.

    After Georgia's gaining independence, the authorities in Javahk
    were very weak. As to Aslan Abashidze's government formed in Ajaria,
    it didn't actually comply with Tbilisi's demands. That's why Z.

    Gamsakhourdia, the first President of Georgia, would respond to the
    proposals of the Armenian side by saying, "Georgia is not a passable
    yard," a statement which had already become a kind of winged expression
    in that period.

    However, the situation began to change after the de facto establishment
    of the Georgian rule in Ajaria, and especially, after the recent
    Russian-Georgian armed conflict. The issue of having a modern and
    permanently operating Gyumri -Akhalkalaki - Batumi highway, a project
    proposed by Armenian side in the past, acquired a vital importance
    for Georgia.

    This is obviously conditioned by the new geopolitical realities in
    the region, i.e. the fact that the highway linking Tbilisi with the
    Georgian ports of the Black Sea extends along the Georgian-Ossetian
    border.

    In such conditions it becomes quite clear why Georgia spends 170
    million US Dollars on the construction of the highways linking Tbilisi
    with Javahk and simultaneously offers the Armenian side to set up
    a joint consortium and acq uire relevant means within a period of 2
    months for the modernization of the highway linking Ajaria with the
    region of Samtskhe-Javakhetti.

    Thus, the present-day geopolitical developments urge Georgia to have
    an alternative road opening its way to the Black Sea, something that
    Armenia, its neighboring country, has badly needed for a long time. But
    no matter how much this desire may be dictated by the new situation in
    and around Georgia, it is necessary to bear in mind that the operation
    of such road will create real opportunities for Armenia to carry out
    freight transportations to Batumi in a very short period of time.

    Moreover, before reaching Batumi, a port situated at a distance of
    330 kilometers from the Armenian border, the road will pass over
    Armenian-populated areas, as well as Akhaltskhe which serves as a
    kind of borderline between Turkey and Russia. Besides, the existence
    of such road may completely rid Armenia of the load of the tangled
    road junction of Tbilisi as well as the negative impact of the new
    war in the region.

    The recent Russian-Georgian conflict which caused a great harm to
    Armenia and brought about the loss of the Georgian control over some
    territories has also created new transport-communication opportunities
    for our country.

    The second corridor passing via Georgia and reaching the Black Sea
    can become one of the tools for counterbalancing the unilateral
    penetration of the Turks int o the region of Samtskhe-Javakhetti and
    improving the economic situation in region.

    By this, Samtskhe-Javakhetti may become one of the regions in which
    the interests of Armenia and Georgia intersect, as well as serve as
    a junction linking the two countries with the outside world through
    Batumi, a port situated on the coast of the Black Sea. Therefore,
    instead of leading to the intersection of the Turkish-Georgian
    interests, Ajaria will become an important place for the economic
    cooperation of three countries at once.
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