Russia Blames Georgia
It has been 40 days that truck driver Arshak Saribekian, 70, spends nights in the gorge of Darial. The cold wind coming from river Terek pierces into his bones. “We don’t eat regularly. We run out of fuel and are unable to heat the cabins of the trucks, and wind is terrible here”, he says.
It has been more than a month that Russia closed Upper Lars border crossing of the Russian-Georgian border. Driver Arshak together with many other drivers is being kept hostage in Darial gorge. They transfer different Armenian goods such as carpets, juices of Noyan, Jermuk mineral water, stone and caoutchouc.
The border-gate was supposed to open on October 5 for 3 hours. Georgian guards claim that they were ready to open the border but no Russian car appeared during that 3 hours. Russian guards at the Upper Lars checkpoint said that no order to open the border came. Even if the border opened, only few trucks would manage to cross it in that period.
There are around 100 vehicles, mainly trucks, stuck at the Georgian side of Upper Lars and 1500 at the Russian side. Hundreds of the cars at the Russian side belong to the Armenia Lada Company.
Drivers transporting the Company’s vehicles are furious at those responsible for the border closure. The Company still managed to convey 20 cars of “Volga” brand after the closure. Allegedly, the vehicles were being imported by a high-ranking Armenian official’s order.
The Russian side assures Armenians that Georgia is unwilling to open the border and that’s why they can leave for home.
On October 7 Armenian consul to Tbilisi and an embassy employee left for Upper Lars to learn about the situation at the spot.
The border opening depends on Russia’s decision, in fact. While the Russian guards were waiting for an order to open it for 3 hours, no order came from above. Russian authorities must be considering Darial gorge a passing point for terrorists whereas everything seem quiet here but for Arshak shivering with cold at night.
Some of the Armenian drivers at the Georgian side would gladly return home if they had money. They have paid all necessary Georgian customs duties but now they have to pay also to return, never crossing the border. But they don’t even have money for food.
Another driver Arkady Sahakian said that they allow them to go to the nearest kiosks on the Georgian side twice a day for the necessary stuff (they are now on a neutral territory). Kiosks, in their turn, raised prices. The situation may easily turn into a humanitarian disaster if it keeps this pace.
Drivers catch cold, they didn’t take bath for a month, and there is no water and toilet. “Uncertainty” is the word to describe the situation. People have T-shirts on whereas winter is taking ground in the gorge.
A citizen of Byelorussia, Leonid Dubina, is exporting Noyan juices to Moscow. “We have no way back unlike the Armenian drivers. No one is bothered about us”, he said adding that Armenian drivers share their food with them.
Sergey Kislitsa and Sergey Korolyov from Ukraine convey caoutchouc to Donetsk. “We are hostages here. We have nothing to eat. We decided to call a hunger strike but Russian guards are mocking at us telling to turn to president Putin”, they said.
A bus heading for Krasnodar from Yerevan has been waiting at the Georgian side for 38 days. There were only 8 passengers on the bus by October 7, all others turned back to Armenia. Other 8 Armenians are citizens of Russia.
Teacher Elya Babayan lives in Armavir. She has sold all her possession and immigrated to Russia. The family is waiting for her but there is no hope that she will reach her new home. “There is no way back. I have no money left. We all sleep in the bus”, Elya says.
Elizaveta Badalian, 68, is a doctor from Vladikavkaz. “I am helping the sick here, and now ask for help. It’s already cold here. I want my home, in the end”.
By Tatoul Hakobian, Upper Lars and Aghavni Harutyunian, Tbilisi
P.S. Armenian embassy to Georgia supported in writing the article
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