Armenia, Georgia plan joint border checkpoint

PanARMENIAN.Net - Three-day working meetings organized under the “Border Crossing Point Modernization and Joint Control Implementation” program, carried out jointly with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), began on May 18 under the leadership of Rafael Gevorgyan, deputy chairman of Armenia’s State Revenue Committee.

During the meetings, participants are expected to discuss several key issues related to the creation and operation of a joint border checkpoint, including standard operating procedures, information exchange and management systems, as well as matters connected to the technical design of the joint checkpoint. A similar meeting with Georgian counterparts has already been organized by the ADB.

The agreements reached during the meetings will serve as the basis for launching work on a draft agreement regarding the establishment of a joint border crossing point between Armenia and Georgia.

The meetings are attended by representatives of the ADB program team, as well as Armenian members of the working group on the Armenian-Georgian jointly operated border crossing point.

Gevorgyan stressed that the introduction of a joint border checkpoint is of strategic importance for Armenia, as it will become the first jointly controlled crossing point on the Armenian-Georgian border.

Extensive work has already been carried out within the framework of the project to analyze border-crossing processes and assess needs. In particular, the Gogavan-Guguti checkpoint was selected as the location for the pilot project. Among the options discussed, preference was given to the “Integrated Facility” model.