Thursday, December 14 2017 09:35

ArmInfo.The trade representative of Russia in Armenia, Andrei Babko, does not have  documented facts that Armenian carriers at the "Upper Lars" checkpoint sometimes pay bribes to Russian customs officers for trouble-free passage of cargo.

"I know the problem, it exists, how deep - I do not know, I did not  deal with the problem," Andrei Babko said at a press conference on  December 13.

According to Babko, one should not discount the moment that bribes  are given by one who has violated something. "If everything is clean,  everything is fine, no one has the right to demand anything from  you," he said.

Nevertheless, if such facts exist, the most important thing in the  fight against the phenomenon is to talk about them openly, record the  facts and bring the matter to court. "Such things, unfortunately, are  present all over the world - this is corruption and it must be fought  against - Russian customs officers are also subject to harassment and  all cases must be stopped," he said, stressing that to this day none  of the Armenian business or authorities, such a problem did not  appeal to the Russian Trade Commission in Armenia.

Earlier Vahan Martirosyan, Minister of Transport, Communications and  IT of Armenia, stated at the meeting with journalists that the  Armenian side is trying to influence the leadership of Upper Lars  checkpoint in order to exclude the corruption manifestations, which  have become the "good tradition" of illegal fees from Armenian  drivers. As Vahan Martirosyan stated, he personally raised this issue  before the customs officials at the "Upper Lars". "They assured me  that there is nothing like this. But our drivers say that from time  to time this happens and they are subjected to extortion. We are  struggling with this as we can, but understand - the Ministry of  Transport of Armenia can not change anything in Russia on its own,  "the minister stressed, noting that this issue can be settled only at  the interstate level. Earlier, former Minister of Economy Artsvik  Minasyan also spoke about the Russian side's verdicts on "Upper  Lars". He also argued that the problem exists, but it is very  difficult to solve it, since the Armenian side has no instruments of  influence.

According to the testimony of not only professional cargo carriers,  but also Armenian motorists, the road from the "Upper Lars" through  the North Caucasus republics to the border with Stavropol, flies in  pennies in connection with the fights both at checkpoints established  at the borders of the autonomous republics.