Its borders with Azerbaijan are naturally closed, since a state of war still exists between the two countries. The Turkish border is also closed, and has been since 1993. The Iranian border is open, as is Georgian border.The Georgian border with Armenia is open, but the Georgian border with its giant neighbor Russia has been closed since June 2006, due to diplomatic tension with Russia. The closure was further strengthened by the war between Russia and Georgia in August of last year.
This vital border for Armenia was one of the top issues discussed during Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's official two-day visit to Yerevan last week. During the discussions, Saakashvili pledged immediate action to open the Russian border as soon as Russia agreed to reopen its side of the border. Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan for his part stressed that Armenia considered the opening of the border crossing a vital economic priority, given Russia's importance as an importer of Armenian produce.
This crossing, called Upper Lars, is vital because it served as Armenia's sole overland connection to Russia and beyond and also to Europe before its closure. Armenia exported its agricultural produce through this crossing. But now, this route is closed and may stay closed for some time to come. It can only be opened if Russia agrees to it. Given Russian enmity towards the current Saakashvili administration, hopes for its opening are dim, to say the least.
The other issue of discussion was, of course, the Javahheti issue. Javahheti is a historical region of Georgia in the southeastern part of the country's Samtskhe-Javakheti province. Armenians form the ethnic majority in the region, with a minority of Georgians and a small number of Pontic Greeks and others. In all of Georgia, the Armenian population is about 250,000. In Javakheti, they number around 90,000. The principal economic activities in Javahketi are subsistence agriculture and livestock.
Ethnic Armenians in Javakheti are concentrated chiefly in the Akhalkalaki (Ahılkelek in Turkish), and Ninotsimimda districts. They believe they are discriminated against culturally and underrepresented in the government. There have been protests and clashes with the police about their treatment by the Georgian authorities in the past. The local Armenian United Javakh Democratic Alliance has proposed a local autonomous area for Javakheti within Georgia. The organization has also proposed to hold referendums on autonomy or secession of Javakheti in the past. However, the Armenian government has maintained its silence over this issue and never claimed Javakheti as its own.
On Javakheti, President Saakashvili reiterated the Georgian official line, which is that Georgia does not discriminate, and vigorously defended his government's record. He pointed out that Georgia had poured disproportionately high levels of development assistance into Javakheti, aiming to improve the region's roads and modernize its gas distribution grid. “No region in Georgia has received as much investment as Javakheti in recent years,” Saakashvili insisted during his address at Yerevan State University on June 25.
President Sarksyan officially offered thanks to Saakashvili for his government's efforts in Javakheti and bestowed the Medal of Honor, Armenia's highest award for foreign dignitaries, upon President Saakashvili, which signified the warm relations between two countries, at least on the surface.
However, even this gesture made some Russian officials angry. Several Russian MPs have called on Armenia to make a clear choice between Russia and Georgia. That, of course, will not happen because Armenia needs Georgia for its economic lifeline. On the other hand, it will not abandon its vital security and economic relations with Russia, either. Therefore, Armenia will continue to tread the uneasy path between Georgia and Russia for many years to come.
