TBILISI (Combined Sources)-The presidents of Armenia and Georgia pledged to promote economic "integration" between their nations and reviewed broader bilateral ties during weekend talks held in the Georgian city of Batumi.

Sargsyan traveled to the Black Sea port city on what his office called a "private visit" ahead of the reopening on Monday of Georgia's main border crossing with Russia that had served as one of Armenia's few commercial conduits to the outside world.

The Upper Lars crossing running through a narrow pass in the Caucasus Mountains was controversially closed by Moscow in June 2006, hitting hard Armenian exporters of agricultural produce and other goods. Yerevan has since repeatedly urged the Russians to reopen it.

The Georgian and Russian governments announced in late December that they will allow renewed commercial and passenger traffic through the mountain pass from March 1. The agreement was reportedly reached under Swiss and Armenian mediation.

Reuters news agency reported that checkpoints on both sides of Upper Lars were opened early in the morning on Monday, but no vehicles had passed the border by midday Georgian time. Armenian trading companies had been particularly reliant on the crossing in summer and autumn months.

According to the Armenian presidential press office, Sargsyan and Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili discussed in Batumi "efforts to open the Upper Lars checkpoint" along with other economic issues of mutual interest.

Saakashvili described the Georgian-Armenian relationship as "cloudless" as he greeted his Armenian counterpart on Saturday. The two men spent the weekend holding talks and taking a stroll in a city that has been a popular destination of Armenian vacationers in recent years.

"I believe, that these cordial relations and close cooperation are conditioned not only ours-the Presidents' personal input, even though it is important-but first of all they must be credited to our two nations," Sahakashvili underscored. "Many Armenians visit this town in summer, and locals welcome them with pleasure. In addition, many ethnic Armenians live here and there is also an Armenian church. All ethnic groups coexist peacefully, and we are very proud of that fact and consider it to be our achievement."

Saakashvili told journalists Sunday that the two agreed that the integration of their countries' economies should "further intensify." Armenia and Georgia "need more communication and more work to bring our peoples together, though they already are close to each other," he said. "Such meetings will take place much more frequently and this will benefit everyone."

"We are small countries and we need each other very much. We are dependent upon each other and we should use this circumstance for good," he added in televised remarks.

Sargsyan agreed, saying: "We should work together more closely and think very seriously about integration processes." "I am confident that this year will see a turning point in our relations, even if those relations have always been very good and are very good now too," he added.

"We have lived like brothers for thousand years and will continue to," he added.

Neither leader announced any concrete agreements reached during their talks. Saakashvili spoke instead of his admiration for Sargsyan.

"I want to say that the Armenian president is a brave man who inspires me in a lot of ways," he said. "I am delighted with how the country is achieving success."

Sargsyan also participated in a Sunday mass at the Holy Savior Armenian Church of Batumi, wher ehe lit a candle and laid flowers at the khachkar-memorial. In the church yard, he talked to representatives of the Armenian community of Ajaria.