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On May 15 the RA NA Standing Committees on Foreign Relations and on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs organized parliamentary hearings on the procedure of the implementation of the program North-South Road Corridor, where the NA Deputy Speaker Hermine Naghdalyan, the NA deputies, members of the Government, representatives of the international organizations and the NGOs and experts took part.

Opening the parliamentary hearings, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Gagik Minasyan noted that years ago in Armenia a program proposing real and practical solutions against the blockade of Armenia began: i.e. the construction of north-south highway. He highlighted the provision of the awareness of the society on the program procedure.

The Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan made opening remarks. He stated that investments were made and negotiations are going as well on the program.

According to the Resident Representative of the Office of the Asian Development Bank in Armenia David Dole, the goal of the North-South Road Corridor is to strengthen the relations and the communication between Armenia and the neighbouring countries, as well as to integrate Armenia to the regional transport networks.

The Deputy Minister of Economy Garegin Melkonyan has noted that the Investment Program of North-South Road Corridor is the first jointly initiated program with the Asian Development Bank which can have a big role for the development of the economy and regional trade.

The RA First Deputy of Transport and Communication Artur Arakelyan touched upon the works done by the program, as well as presented the works to be done.

According to the speakers, negotiations are going on with Iran on the possibility of constructing similar road in Iran which will join North-South Corridor and will provide the rise of the interest of the international cargo transporters.

The speakers answered the participants’ questions which mainly related to the quality of the road under construction, the use of the local work force during the road construction, the choice of the design works, the forecast of other substructures during the road design and the resistance of the road.

Summing up the parliamentary hearings Artak Zakaryan and Gagik Minasyan highlighted the awareness of the society on such big programs, which are implemented due to the investments. It has been noted that such debates give an opportunity to get familiarized with the procedure of the works being implemented and the use of the credit means.