Saakashvili Calls for Easing of Visa Rules with Armenia

President Saakashvili called for the simplification of visa rules between Georgia and Armenia, saying it would improve relations between the two countries.

“The Georgian-Armenian border should be and it already is the border of friendship,” Saakashvili said at a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarkisyan, in Tbilisi on September 30. “We have agreed to work more closely. I have instructed the ministers of finance and economy to visit Yerevan in order to ensure that border crossing procedures are as simple as possible.”

He said that the two countries would work jointly to boost bi-lateral economic ties, in particular through the construction of new roads linking the two countries.

Saakashvili also said that he and Sarkisyan had agreed to set up a consortium to attract funds for the construction of a new transit highway through the Goderdzi Pass in the Adjaran Autonomous Republic. He added that the road, the construction of which will take several years, will half the traveling time from Armenia to the Black Sea region.

He also thanked the Armenian president for expressing support for Georgia’s territorial integrity.    

“I think that recent developments in Georgia have clearly demonstrated how important regional cooperation is, how everybody suffers from problems and conflicts and how important it is to solve all the issues quickly,” Saakashvili said.

He also said both countries were close to finalizing work on border delimitation and “practically there are no unsettled issues there.”

“I am sure that the future of the Caucasus is in the creation of a uniform market, the creation of uniform human, cultural and economic spheres, close cooperation with other countries of the region. Of course, before coming to that, we should settle the existing problems, but I am sure that all these problems can be settled,” Saakashvili added. 

The Armenian president said at the press conference that the two countries have more room to improve bilateral cooperation. He stressed that Georgia’s stability was very important for Armenia.

The Armenian president also emphasized that existing problems could not be settled through military intervention. “We all understand that the Caucasus is a small region, but it is a very sensitive area, as interests are intercrossed here and we should do our best to ensure that these interests are used in favor of our peoples,” President Sarkisyan said at the press conference.

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