On February 16, as part of Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri’s visit to Yerevan, the Armenian and Georgian PMs discussed creation of a joint customs service.

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan told a press conference that problems have been observed while crossing the Armenian-Georgian border due to legislative amendments in the two countries since the beginning of 2011.

The RA Law on Compulsory Car Insurance was enforced on January 1, 2011, due to which car owners have to purchase insurance policies at the border prior to entry into Armenia. Meanwhile, a law was enacted in Georgia from January 1, which envisages additional payments for vehicles with cargo for roads maintenance.

“We agreed with the Georgian Prime Minister to organize these measures so that all inconveniences are minimized for our citizens,” said Sargsyan.

Georgian PM noted for his part that a political agreement on the joint management of the border has been achieved and working groups deal with it.

He added that Georgia and Turkey have launched joint management of the border since June 1, 2010. Gilauri expressed hope that the matter will solved with Armenia as well.