YEREVAN (ARKA), March 2–Armenia welcomed Monday the reopening of a key border crossing on the Russian-Georgia border that had been used by Armenian businessmen as the only overland conduits to the outside world. The Upper Lars border crossing was closed by Moscow in June 2006 for repairs.

The crossing is effectively the only land crossing between Russia and Georgia, the others running through Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The closing hit hard Armenian exporters of agricultural produce and other goods.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Arsen Ghazarian, chairman of the Union of Armenian Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, said the open border check point will cut transportation expenses by 20-25 percent, or $1,000 to $1,500 for transporting a truckload of goods in both directions.

After the crossing was shut down in 2006 Armenian exporters and importers had to use ferryboat routes across the Black Sea. The ferryboat makes one trip a week between the Georgian port of Poti and a Russian port on the Black Sea.