ArmInfo.Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan believes that unblocking the economic and transport infrastructure of the region can qualitatively change the content and structure of the RA economy. He stated this in the parliament on October 25, presenting the draft law "On the state budget of the Republic of Armenia for 2022".
According to Pashinyan, in the context of the development of the security system, not only the modernization and defense capability of the Army is important, but also the creation of a favorable external environment around the Republic of Armenia, the consistent implementation of the agenda of opening an era of peaceful development for Armenia, Artsakh and the region. "We see this by overcoming the environment of enmity in our region, resuming the negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship, unblocking the regional economic and transport infrastructures," he said.
In addition, according to the head of government, unblocking communications can become an additional impetus for the development of domestic infrastructure, ensure long-term inclusive economic growth, and create equal conditions for Armenian citizens to conduct economic activities, significantly increasing the attractiveness of the economy for local and foreign investors.
According to the Prime Minister, in 2022 Armenia will allocate 32% more for infrastructure development than in 2021 - up to more than 278 billion drams. It is planned to restore and repair roads with a length of more than 500 km, design or build reservoirs, the volume of work to improve the quality of drinking water will increase by 35% - providing funding in the amount of about 11.5 billion drams. A start will be given to tenders for construction work on the Sisian-Kajaran, Kajaran-Agarak section of the North-South transport corridor.
To note, according to the draft budget for 2022, 278.6 billion drams will be allocated for infrastructure projects, as well as projects for the development of regions, or 31.6% more than the indicator set in the state budget for the current year.