Georgia is ready to immediately launch talks on reopening the Zemo Larsi border crossing point with Russia, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said on June 8.

He said that the Georgian side had already offered the venue of possible talks - “neutral zone between Kazbegi and Larsi, but neither the Swiss Embassy nor the Ministry have received any response so far.”

“After the Russian Federation notified us through the Swiss Embassy about its readiness to launch talks and got a positive response from the Georgian side, we are expecting further development of events, but nothing happens so far,” Vashadze said.

Switzerland represents Russia’s diplomatic interests in Georgia, as well as Georgia’s diplomatic interests in Russia amid cut diplomatic ties between the two countries after the August war.

Land traffic between the two countries was closed with the closure of Zemo Larsi border crossing point by Russia in July, 2006; two others are located in breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia cited reconstruction of the border crossing infrastructure in Zemo Larsi as a reason behind its closure.

Grigol Vashadze was speaking on the matter at a joint news conference with his Armenian counterpart in Tbilisi. With two other border crossing points in breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia regarded as illegal by Tbilisi, Zemo Larsi border crossing point is the only closest land route through which Armenia can reach Russia.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said on May 26 that it had been notified by Swiss embassy that the Russian side completed reconstruction works and was ready for holding talks on “technical issues” of its reopening.