Russia Bans Bus Traffic, Threatens to Cut Air Flights with Georgia

Russia will prevent Georgian airline companies  from entering Russian airspace starting from October 1, 2004. Photo: Airzena Company

The Russian decision to bar Georgian bus companies and their intention to prevent Georgian air carrier companies to enter Russian airspace was rerceived in Georgia as a part of Moscow’s increased pressure on Tbilisi.

Starting from September 15, no bus trips will be conducted between the two countries, as Russia banned seven Georgian bus companies to carry out passenger traffic between Georgia and Russia. In practice, the road traffic between Georgia and Russia has been stopped since early September, after the Russian side closed down its border with Georgia following the hostage tragedy in the North Ossetian town of Beslan.

In a statement issued on September 14 the Russian Foreign Ministry denied Georgia’s accusations that Russia is imposing a blockade on Georgia and explained the move as being motivated by purely economic reasons, citing the fact that bus traffic is not carried out on the “basis of parity”.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry during the first half of 2004 Russian bus companies carried out only one trip to Georgia, while the Georgian companies – 277. Seven Georgian private bus companies were carrying out passenger traffic three times a week from Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Rustavi en route to Moscow and from Tbilisi en route to St. Petersburg

“Georgian carriers fail to maintain the regularity of routes and to keep to timetables. Hence, we decided to cancel the bus routes between Russia and Georgia,” the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement reads.

Earlier, in September, the Russian Transport Ministry warned the Georgian side that it will also prevent the Georgian airline companies from entering Russian airspace starting from October 1. Russia quotes the debt of USD 3,6 million which the Georgia air carriers owe to the Russian navigation service as their reasoning behind this decision.

This debt has been accumulated since 1994. However, the Georgian Aviation Administration claims that all of the companies that incurred these debts went bankrupt and the matter should be settled in court. Chairman of the Civil Aviation Department of Georgia Temur Mzhavanadze also says that the agreement between the two countries on air traffic “does not envisage the imposing of sanctions.”
 
Currently four Georgian air companies operate flights between the two countries: Airzena, Caucasus Airlines, National Airlines and TbilAviaMsheni. As the Georgian side claims, none of these companies are in debt to the Russian navigation service.
 
“The [Russian Transport Ministry’s] letter does not indicate particularly which air companies have debts. At that time [1994] 11 Georgian air companies were conducting flights to Russia. Most of these companies have gone bankrupt since then,” Spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Department Keti Basilashvili told Civil Georgia.
 
Chairman of the Civil Aviation Department of Georgia Temur Mzhavanadze has already sent a letter to his Russian counterpart requesting “to clarify the situation.”

Similar to the bus traffic case, Russia again denies that the decision to close air traffic is politically-motivated. A Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement issued on September 14 also reads that a similar warning demanding the repayment of debt was sent to other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

“The purpose of this measure is to repay debts and not to close Russian airspace,” the statement reads.

However, officials in Tbilisi maintain their claim that Russia has begun exerting “unprecedented pressure” on Georgia. Vice-Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Mikheil Machavariani described the transport restrictions by Russia as “imposing an economic blockade over Georgia.”

“We do not understand the reasons behind these kinds of decisions. Georgia is under political pressure and now we will fall under economic pressure as well,” Goga Khaindrava, Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues, said on September 13, while visiting Moscow.

Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze says that Russia’s decision is “absolutely incomprehensible,” especially in light of the resumption of the railway link between Moscow and Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia on September 10.