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  • Gachechiladze: One should Not Go to Sukhumi or Tskhincali

    AZG Armenian Daily #186, 30/09/2006


    Armenia-Georgia

    REVAZ GACHECHILADZE: ONE SHOULD NOT GO TO SUKHUMI OR TSKHINVALI IF ONE
    DOES NOT WANT TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES

    Revaz Gachechiladze, Georgian ambassador to Armenia, gave his comments
    on daily Azg's publications about arrests of Armenian citizens who had
    visited Abkhazia or South Ossetia. Georgian law enforcers report that
    starting from June 1 to September 25, 76 foreigners and 67 Georgian
    citizens were arrested on charge of illegal crossing of Georgian state
    border.

    48 of the foreigners were citizens of Russian, 6 of Turkey, 4 of
    Azerbaijan, 2 of Iran and Uzbekistan, one of India, Pakistan and
    Algeria, 11 of Armenia. 4 Armenians drivers who legally crossed the
    so-called South Ossetian border were soon released and their fines
    were returned. 7 more Armenians are still in jail. "I want to point
    out that not only Armenian citizens were arrested. This procedure
    simply became glowing as the Upper Lars control point was blocked
    impacting more Armenia than Georgia," said Georgian ambassador.

    Yet, Mr. Gachechiladze voiced concern over the situation of the
    Armenian citizens. The ambassador even turned to consulate department
    asking for a third group disabled detainee to be released. But this
    was an exception. Mr. Gachechiladze told daily Azg a few days ago that
    the Georgian authorities made another exception by allowing to
    transport the special equipment for Charles Aznavour's concert via
    Roki illegal control point.

    Georgian ambassador is sure that the Armenian Foreign Ministry
    objectively assesses the situation and acts adequately.

    To Azg's remark that Georgian authorities fail to secure awareness
    among people, Mr. Gachechiladze once again warned that entry to
    Georgia is possible only through legal control points: Upper Lars,
    which is currently closed, airports of Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi and
    harbors of Batumi and Poti. In regards to Abkhazia, the ambassador
    said: "Abkhazia purposefully stamps visitors' passports, and that is
    illegal as that is considered an illegal border crossing. One should
    not go to Sukhumi or Tskhinvali if one does not want to have problems
    with Georgian authorities." Incidentally, such approach to Abkhazian
    and South Ossetian border crossing was adopted at the CIS Summit in
    1996.

    Asked what should the Armenian citizens who had recently been in
    Sukhumi or Tskhinvali do, the ambassador reminded that after the crash
    of Armenian A320 plane in Sochi some Armenian citizens were allowed to
    pass to Abkhazia via Georgian border. Georgian Penal Code does not
    apply to those citizens. As to those who visited Sukhumi and
    Tskhinvali in recent years, they should simply not enter Georgia.

    Most of the arrested Russian citizens may well be Armenians, as very
    few Russians would cross Abkhazian-Georgian border after a visit to
    Sukhumi or Tskhinvali.

    By Aghavni Harutyunian
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