Head of Armenian Ministry of Transport expressed desire to deepen cooperation with World Bank in transport, communications and IT

ArmInfo. The Minister of  Transport, Communications and Information Technologies of Armenia,  Vahan Martirosyan, August 3 received a delegation of the World Bank  (WB), headed by the head of the working group, expert on private  sector development Hiroyuki Tsuzaki.

As the press service of the ministry informs, during the meeting the  minister noted the importance of cooperation with the World Bank in  the road construction of the republic. As Vahan Martirosyan pointed  out, within the framework of the program on improving the road  network, a number of regional roads have been renovated and improved.  At the same time, the head of the Ministry of Transport noted the  desire to deepen cooperation in the areas of transport,  communications and IT.

Hiroyuki Tsuzaki, in turn, noting the importance of expanding further  cooperation, expressed solidarity with the ideas expressed by the  minister. According to him, parallel to the current joint programs,  steps will be taken to include the announced proposals in the nearest  programs.

During the meeting, the sides also touched upon developments in the  field of telecommunications and IT.  In particular, the prospects for  cooperation around the regional program "Data Center" in Armenia were  discussed. The representative of the World Bank also presented the  project of creating an "Engineering City" which is important for  progress in the field of engineering and the development of  international cooperation in this field.

Earlier ArmInfo was informed that the engineering city will be built  in Yerevan in Bagrevand, on the territory of 3 hectares. Answering  the question of ArmInfo during a press conference on June 22, Bagrat  Yengibaryan, head of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation, said this.  He noted that the preliminary cost of the project will be about $ 20  million, investments in the construction of which will be provided by  about 16 private companies. At the same time he stressed that 2 large  international companies are interested in establishing their research  centers in the Yerevan Engineering City. In this vein, he named the  company Philipp Morris and another company from Abu Dhabi. In the  preparation of infrastructures, the Government of the Republic of  Armenia will assist with the World Bank. The engineering city will  collect on average 30-35 companies, and more than 50 companies can  turn to accelerators. The most valuable, according to the expert, in  the Engineering City will be the establishment of a new faculty of  system engineering, which will allow developing cooperation in the  form of education - the private sector. The city will have  laboratories, research centers equipped with expensive equipment, to  which students will be allowed to practice and enrich knowledge.