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LIVE: New Arrangements between Russia and Georgia: an Alternative Route Linking Armenia to Russia? (video)

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Round table discussion featuring Armenian, Georgian and Russian experts aims to initiate a lively discourse on the recent preliminary agreement between official Moscow and Tbilisi on the possible reopening of transport routes via Georgia’s breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.   Date:                            February 20, 2017 at 13:00 (preliminary) Venue:                         IWPR Armenian office in Yerevan, Armenia   Background: In an unprecedented move following the five-day war in 2008, Georgia and Russia, notwithstanding thorny political issues between the two countries, have decided to start cooperation focusing on trade and reopening of commercial roads. The sides have arranged to revitalize the Russian-Georgian deal on “trade corridors”, signed back in 2011. “We have agreed to move forward in small steps and discuss issues that could be solved without passing the red lines,” Zurab Abashidze, Georgian Prime Minister's special representative for relations with Russia, announced after the talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin in Prague. The trade routes between Russia and Georgia that pass through its breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia will be controlled by the transit countries. The sides have already reached a preliminary agreement on such sensitive and seemingly intractable issues as those related to the location of customs points and border control. The agreement is of vital importance for Armenia. Georgia is Armenia's sole overland transport link to Eurasian Economic Union, a Russia led trade bloc which Armenia joined in 2015. The establishment of two additional trade routes through Georgia’s breakaway republics will benefit Armenia, as the operation of the only existing route through Larsi checkpoint in the Caucasus Mountains is heavily dependent on the weather. The successful implementation of the agreement also leaves Armenia with the hope that the railroad connection with Russia will be restored via Georgia’s breakaway republic of Abkhazia, which is on western edge of the Caucasus Mountains. The event aims to increase public awareness in Armenia on complex issues of cross-border trade and other important regional developments through verifiable, balanced and unbiased journalism in the local media. The scope of the event:  IWPR and PJC will join their efforts to organize a round table discussion event around economic challenges and prospects in South Caucasus Countries. The event expected to draw media attention and publicity in Armenia.   Preliminary list of participants :

  • Stepan Grigoryan, political expert, head of the AnalyticalCentre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation
  • Tatul Manaseryan, expert on Economy, head of the Research Center Alternative.
  • Giorgi Kanashvili, executive director of Caucasian House. (via video call from Tbilisi)
  • Andrey Areshev, expert at the Centre for the Central Asia and Caucasus Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences (via video call from Tbilisi)