VIDEO: Why Armenian Trucks Have Been Removed from the General Line in Lars

Drivers waiting in Lars are in a desperate situation. Extended queues lasting for months are affecting both the health and finances of drivers. One driver who contacted Auroranews has been in Lars for over a month, stuck in a huge line. Meanwhile, Georgian vendors are selling food at extremely high prices. For instance, bread costs 3 lari (320 AMD), water is 5 lari (560 AMD), and the money in the drivers' pockets is running out.

However, the main issue is not food. According to reports, Armenian drivers are being told to move their vehicles to a section away from the queue, which is creating even more challenges for them. They explain that there is special treatment for Armenian, Russian, and Belarusian drivers in the 17 km long queue, with Armenian drivers currently being moved out of sight, away from everyone else.

One truck driver said: "I don’t know the exact reason; we have been brought here, away from the queue, and can’t see anything. There are only Armenians here. My truck is loaded with tomatoes that are spoiling, but that doesn’t matter and has no impact. Armenians, Russians, and Belarusians aren’t allowed to pass quickly; we’re waiting 17 km in line, and we don’t know until when."

The driver noted that they are not given answers as to why only Armenian trucks are being moved to an area far from the queue.

“We have been waiting for a long time. The question is that we have many issues. Some drivers have serious health problems, making it more difficult for them to wait in line. We have a driver with diabetes for whom we call an ambulance every day. There is contempt,” said the driver who contacted us.

Auroranews reached out to Aren Arakelyan, the Armenian consul in Georgia, to understand what assistance will be provided or how the complaints of Armenian drivers waiting in Lars for days will be resolved.

Arakelyan assured that an unprecedented number of Armenian vehicles have never been stopped at the border. According to him, the issue is related to the capacity of the checkpoint on the Russian side. “There are specific stops where trucks have been parked since last year. These stops were not equipped, and when it snowed or rained, the vehicles were buried in that dirt road section. This caused problems, as one vehicle would be stuck, delaying the queue behind them as others could not pass.” Arakelyan added that a decision has now been made to park vehicles in a location that will avoid such issues.

According to the consul, after discussions with the Georgian side, it was determined that trucks should park on the other side of the road, where they can be parked in three lanes, facilitating the queue's maintenance.

The Georgian side informed us that there is an old road that connects to the bypass road and noted that they are forced to accumulate vehicles there due to the unprecedented queue. The problem lies with the Russian side, where the border checkpoint is being renovated, which is causing significant disruption. The Georgian customs service can currently release up to 500 vehicles per day, but only 300-320 vehicles are passing through at this time,” highlighted Arakelyan.

When asked what a driver with perishable food should do while waiting in line, and whether a driver could be held responsible for spoiled food, Arakelyan responded, “Responsibility cannot fall on the driver; they are not to blame for waiting so long in line.”

Regarding whether the Armenian embassy in Georgia is taking steps to assist drivers with food supplies, Arakelyan noted that there are about 500 vehicles waiting in line, making it impossible to provide food for everyone.