CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ContEurVIII2 | Page 35

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) territory and an additional 200 GEL (around $75) for the entrance and exit of every truck. 70 Despite the abundance of literature, there are numerous gaps in parts of the issues mentioned above. Starting with the historical background, namely the problem of the Lori and Javakhk territorial dispute, there is a lack of arguments in the literature regarding the relevance of the Georgian-Armenian War of 1918 and its effect on the current predicaments and tensions between the two countries. Particularly, most authors do not mention the absence of full demarcation of the border, which is the direct result of this short war and serves as the basis for disagreements. Additionally, many articles and books about the divergent foreign policy priorities of Armenia and Georgia were published several years ago and do not cover recent developments. Returning to the problems of Javakhk Armenians, the existing literature is obviously outdated, therefore, the current situation is uncertain. Very few sources address the problems of Tbilisi Armenians, and those that do, are a decade old. The same can be said about the issue of the disputes regarding the ownership of churches. The literature also does not cover the current status of the transportation problem, the present status of the Lars checkpoint issue, as well as the difficulties of Armenian cargo export companies that use Georgian ports. Methodology and Design The main variables of this study are the major and minor differences and controversies between Armenia and Georgia that shape the relationship of the two countries. Hence, the research question is as follows: - What are the major problems that serve as obstacles to the development and enhancement of Armenian-Georgian relations? The initial assumptions are drawn from personal observation and knowledge. The hypothesis is developed accordingly: - Armenian-Georgian relations have been challenged by historical tensions, as well as by diverging foreign policy priorities. This study is based on explanatory research design in an attempt to understand the cause and effect of the external and internal factors that                                                              70 Grigor Nazaryan et al, Tsovayin Yelq Chunetsogh Yerkrneri Mijazgayin Mrstunakutyan Himnakhndirnery (HH orinakov) [The Problems of Landlocked Countries' International Competitiveness (The Armenian case)]. (Yerevan, Amberd” Matenashar, 2014), 65-78, https://asue.am/upload/files/amberd-competition/Nazaryan.pdf. 35