Gayane Arakelyan

Throughout the year, in all seasons, the 24-kilometer road running along the border of Ninotsminda and Armenia is difficult to transverse. The people of Javakh not only complain about the road conditions but also about the Armenian-Georgian border crossings.

The inter-state highway between Akhalkalak and Yerevan was built in the 1960’s. It was partially repaired in 1996 with $250,00 in financing from the All-Armenian Fund.

The “Armenia-Georgia” northern highway not only serves as an additional link to Georgia but also plays a vital role in the development for the Armenian-populated regions of Ninotsminda and Akhalkalak in Georgia. Today, though, this road is practically impassable.

Nazeli Karapetyan, who has been living in Armenia for quite some time, says that, “My parents are there. I’ve been traveling that road for 34 years now and it’s in the same broken-up condition. You can spend half a lifetime driving on that road. One thousand people use that road every day but neither Georgia nor Armenia have given it a thought.”

Marina Shahbekyan, a resident of Akhalkalak, complains that, “My boy’s a student in Yerevan. I haven’t seen him for two years. In the summer you get lost in the clouds of dust while in the winter you’re freezing stranded on the side of the road or pushing the car along. I’ll go to Yerevan the year they pave the road.”

Gohar Aghajanyan, another Akhalkalak resident, says that, “Right before New Year we made it to the border but couldn’t go further. The snow hadn’t been cleared away. About ten people helped to turn the car around and we returned. My uncle couldn’t make his flight. He returned his ticket but had to pay a 50% fine.”

Anush Avagyan, also from Akhalkalak, recounted that, “Whenever I try to cross the border I count off the minutes till I reach the Armenian side. Every year they talk about repairing the road, but it’s only talk.”

This stretch of the Akhalkalak-Yerevan road is the only roadway in Georgia in such terrible shape.

Khachik Ayvazyan, President of the Municipal Council in Akhalkalak, declared that, “We can’t repair it on our own. Even the entire area’s budget wouldn’t be enough. Our local village roads are even worse shape and we can just about level them off with dirt and gravel. After so many years of talk and debate the government has only repaired 22 kilometers of roadway between Akhalkalak and Aspindza.”

Lyova Karapetyan, Director of the Akhalkalak bus station, complained that, “Our drivers are fed up with having to constantly repair their vehicles. All the drivers have had this problem. It takes at least one and a half to two hours just to drive through those 24 kilometers of highway. I’m not talking about when we’re hit with heavy snows and you’re Khachik Ayvazyan, President of the Municipal Council e stranded for days. That road is really a pain in the you know where.”

After a few meetings and debates at several forums the government of Georgia decided to repair the road with the financial assistance of the “Millennium Challenge” foundation.

The Russian “Regnum” news service stated that the foundation had earmarked $295 million to repair five roadways located in the Samtskhe-Javakh district. $102 million of that amount would be allocated to the Ninotsminda-Armenia roadway and the Tibilisi-Tzalka-Ninotsminda roadway.

Shirvan Shirinyan, Chief of the Economics’ Division of the Akhalkalak Municipality, states that according to the agreement some 245 kilometers of roadway will be repaired. “The aim of the project is the development of the highway transportation system between Samtskhe and Javakh so that commerce is given a much needed boost.”

Preliminary plans were to have work on the project begin in August of 2007 and to end by the fall of 2009. The German “Kocks Consult” firm was paid $3.196 million for their planning research drew up the project’s financial budget. The firm has drawn up final plans for the repair of all five roads in question.

Hamlet Movsisyan, a Deputy in the Georgian Parliament, certifies that, “According to my figures work didn’t start in the planned timeframe because competitive bids for the construction end of the project weren’t announce until December, 2007. I do not know who won the bid, but they’ll begin work when the weather warms up, mostly likely in May.”

Artur Jeyranyan drives a route from Akhalkalak to Yerevan every day on this road. “They want us to pay so much in taxes and duties for transporting a few hundred kilos of oranges or potatoes that it’s not worth it to deliver the goods to Yerevan. Do you know how many are turned back because they can’t pay? For example, an elderly retiree who’s very sick and in need of medical attention and who only has an old passport is either turned back or made to pay through the nose. These new border posts that they’re building are only to torment the people further.”

Khachik Ayvazyan, President of the Municipal Council of Akhalkalak, is very concerned that Armenian-Georgian relations are worsening and that in the end Javakh will suffer.

“I’m not at all happy with the politics of either Armenia or Georgia when it comes to Javakh. Just look at the problems along the border. I believe that such a border shouldn’t exist at all between two brotherly nations. Those border crossings should operate transparently, especially on the Armenian side, since the people from Javakh have more dealings there”, complains Mr. Ayvazyan. “What, are we less Armenian to be so callously treated by our mother government in Armenia? There are a thousand and one issues to be jointly solved.”

 During his term in office Mr. Ayvazyan met with Vardan Oskanian, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, once in Javakh where the two discussed several issues. They arranged to discuss existing problems with the president in Yerevan but to date Mr. Ayvazyan is still waiting for an invitation.

“After the presidential elections I will not wait any longer. I’ll bring my case to the new president. I believe that who ever gets elected we’ll be able to find some common ground to get relations on the fast track”, Mr. Ayvazyan stated confidently.