Armenian Businessmen Suffer from Russia’s Georgia Embargo

Armenian businessmen have to redirect import routes as a result of Russia’s sanctions on Georgia, which increases expenditures from 7% to 20%, Armenian Trade and Economy Minister Karen Chshmaritian said on October 19, according to the Novosti-Armenia news agency.

He said that Armenian importers redirect their cargo travelling from Russia to ports – mainly Varna in Bulgaria and Ilichevsk in Ukraine – from where it is possible to access Georgia and then Armenia.

Meanwhile, RFE/RL Armenian Service reported on October 17 that Armenian Parliamentary Chairman Tigran Torosian told visiting group of Russian parliamentarians in Yerevan that Russia is ignoring the interests of Armenia while dealing with Georgia.

Russian MP Konstantin Zatulin told the Armenian daily Haykakan Zhamanak that Yerevan has to make a choice between Russia and Georgia. “If you don’t do that, you have no moral right to blame Russia for not taking into account Armenia’s interests in our conflict with Georgia,” MP Zatulin said in the interview, according to the RFE/RL Armenian Service.

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