Kerobyan to Meet Russian Colleagues in Lars Over Checkpoint Capacity Issues

We are very concerned about the situation that has arisen at the Upper Lars checkpoint, and for several hours a day myself and my colleagues, including the State Revenue Committee and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, are addressing these issues. This was stated by the Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan during a briefing with journalists at the National Assembly today, June 1.

"We are in daily contact with our Russian counterparts and see how they are trying to cope with the sharp increase in freight transport that has occurred at Upper Lars. You know that all European routes that previously passed through Belarus and Ukraine are now forced to enter Russia through Turkey and Georgia. This has caused significant congestion there. Nonetheless, it is clear that this poses a heavy challenge for exporters, and we are working in several directions to alleviate this burden, " said Kerobyan.

For instance, the minister recalled that ferry communication between Georgia and Russia is set to begin operating on June 15, which will significantly ease the tension. According to him, the government has allocated about 2.5 billion drams to subsidize this over the next six months.

"Secondly, I held a major consultation with Russian partners last week. We have planned to meet on June 11 in Upper Lars as well, to understand each other's capabilities to further expedite the capacity of Upper Lars. I believe that with our daily working regime, we will be able to substantially reduce this tension at the beginning of the season," Kerobyan noted.

The minister pointed out that despite these challenges, exports from Armenia increased by 20 percent in April, with a notable rise in non-mining goods. In response to a question about the possibility of processing EAEU goods separately, Kerobyan stated that negotiations are still ongoing, and they are seeing some positive shifts in this regard, but a final positive outcome has yet to be achieved.