Armenian truck drivers run out of money and food at Upper Lars checkpoint

YEREVAN, March 24. /ARKA/. Armenia's customs representative at the Upper Lars checkpoint on the Russian-Georgian border is trying to provide maximum possible assistance to Armenian truck drivers that cannot cross the border into Georgia due to a huge line, Edward Hovhannisyan, chairman of the Armenian State Revenue Committee, said in parliament on Wednesday.

“Due to bad weather conditions over the last 10-15 days a huge congestion of trucks has emerged at the Upper Lars checkpoint. Many of the drivers run out of money and food, but they are in different places and our representative cannot even meet with everyone,” said Hovhannisyan.

In his words, the Armenian representative is contacting with drivers several times a day to report on any change in the situation.

Hovhannisyan recalled that the customs representative's functions do not include distribution of food to drivers, although he tries to provide as much assistance to Armenian drivers as possible.

Several hundred trucks have accumulated on the border of the Russian Federation and Georgia after the road was closed because of a threat of avalanches.

The Upper Lars is the only overland conduit to the outside world for Armenian businesses. It is of utmost importance for Armenia, which is subjected to transportation blockade by Azerbaijan and Turkey. –0--