18 February 2019, 22:50
Georgian political analysts are sceptical about Kadyrov's idea of border crossing
The construction of a Chechnya-Georgia border crossing, proposed by Ramzan Kadyrov, promises no economic benefits, and will give no military-strategic advantage either to Russia or Georgia, experts say.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in December, the Chechen TV told about plans to build a Chechen-Georgian border crossing. The road from Itum-Kali to Shatili, connecting Russia with Georgia, is almost ready and would help in intensifying the mutual trade, said the TV report. Georgian authorities denied the existence of such plan.
Since the 1830s, Kistinian Chechens have been living in the Pankisi Gorge. Also, a large group of Chechens, who left Chechnya after the second military campaign, live there.
The traffic on the Georgian section of the unfinished Itum-Kali-Shatili road has been blocked; and there are no plans to restore it yet, said the Department of Highways of the Georgia's Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure.
Georgia is not interested in building the road, Tornike Sharashenidze, a political analyst, believes. "I think Kadyrov is just toadying Moscow," he explained.
Kakha Gogolashvili, the head of the Rondeli Centre for Strategic Studies, also believes that Russia has no obvious need for the road.
"There's always a threat of spreading literature with the ideas of undermining the Georgian state. Penetration of sabotage groups is also possible ... I think it would be inappropriate for Georgia to open a new road to Russia," he said.
The new road may become necessary, "if the military threat from Russia disappears," the expert has stressed.
The construction of a Chechnya-Georgia border crossing, proposed by Ramzan Kadyrov, promises no economic benefits, and will give no military-strategic advantage either to Russia or Georgia, experts say.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 17, 2019 at 03:34 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Beslan Kmuzov Source: CK correspondent
