ArmInfo. I do not see any justified and objective reasons why Upper Lars could be closed to Armenian goods. Armenian Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan expressed a similar opinion during a briefing with journalists.
"I don't see any political, economic or working reasons for this," he emphasized. In response to such a statement by the minister, media representatives pointed to tense relations between the countries and the possible withdrawal of Russian border guards from Zvartnots airport, but Papoyan only asked a counter question: "Do you think this could be a justification?"
Referring to the upcoming meeting, the minister hastened to end the conversation with journalists, emphasizing that there had been no official statements on this matter from the Russian side.
Notably, there are reports in media sources that allegedly Russian customs officers warned Armenian drivers about the closure of the Upper Lars checkpoint for them, and that the restrictions will affect agricultural products and other food. According to the cargo carriers, the Russian side has indicated that they should directly contact the Armenian authorities for an explanation of the reasons for this decision.
