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literature is obviously outdated, therefore, the current situation is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.
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