ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY HELPED TRANSPORT 7,500 ARMENIAN CITIZENS FROM NEIGHBORING GEORGIA

YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Foreign Ministry said today it helped to transport some 7,500 Armenian citizens from neighboring Georgia.

The ministry’s press division told Armenpress that also some 2000 foreigners arrived in Armenia from Georgia. It said the border crossing procedure was substantially facilitated for them. Among foreign nationals are diplomats, staff of international organizations, their family members.

The ministry also said it had no reports of Armenian citizens suffering in the clashes between Russian and Georgian troops.

In a related news a spokeswoman for Armenian Transport and Communication Ministry, Susan Tonoyan, told Armenpress that Armenia-bound goods were unloaded in the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti on August 10 evening.

She said the ministry did not have information about possible problems. According to her, the ministry could not say how many Armenian holiday-makers were caught in Georgia by the Russian-Georgian war.

She said bus convoys with Armenians are escorted by Georgian police until Bavra border check point.

FOREIGN NATIONALS ARRIVE IN ARMENIA FROM GEORGIA

YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Foreign Ministry said today the embassy and the consulate in Georgia are helping all Armenian citizens wishing to travel home. It told Armenpress that by 6 pm August 10 no Armenian citizen in Georgia was reported to have suffered.

It said also Armenian authorities are helping hundreds of foreign nationals caught up in the Russia-Georgia conflict, to move to Armenia. About 130 of the 200 Italian nationals known to be in Georgia left by bus Sunday to travel to the Armenian capital Yerevan. Poland’s Foreign Ministry said it had sent a government plane to Yerevan to collect around 180 evacuees waiting there.

Armenia decided not to charge visa fees from foreigners fleeing Georgia who get them at the border. They are exempted also from transit fees at Yerevan’s Zvartnots airport.

The ministry’s press division said Armenian border and customs services were told to show the biggest possible assistance to foreign nationals and facilitate their crossing into Armenia.

NO PANIC AMONG ARMENIAN NATIONALS VACATIONING IN GEORGIAN BATUMI

YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS: Hakob Haji-Hakobian, Armenia’s consular general in Georgia’s Batumi, told Armenpress that there is no panic among Armenian nationals vacationing in this Georgian Black sea resort town.

Speaking to Armenpress by phone the consular general said the number of Armenians leaving for home even fell on August 11. He said some 650 Armenians arrived in Armenia today against 1,600 on August 10.

“Armenians are being transported by buses towards Armenian border and there is no tension,” he said adding that tensions in western parts of Georgia decreased too.

He said the personnel of the consulate works round the clock.