AFD ready to assist energy efficiency programme in residential  buildings in Armenia 

ArmInfo.The RA Urban Development Committee hosted Mr Paul Koblan-Huberson an Ms Sirarpi Haykazyan, Project Managers at Agence Fran‡aise de D‚veloppement  (AFD). 

The participants in the meeting discussed issues of energy efficiency  in residential buildings. 

The AFD representatives conveyed the French government's readiness to  provide technical aid to the Urban Development Committee in  implementing an energy saving programme in residential buildings in  Armenia. With this end in view, the Committee's priorities under the  Armenian government's action plan will be brought into line with the  AFD criteria. 

The sides discussed fields of cooperation. David Grigoryan,  Vice-Chairman of the Urban Development Committee, proposed a joint  pilot certification project in a number of the Committee-managed  buildings, which will provide full data on their technical state. 

The sided agreed to establish daily contacts to specify the terms of  detailed discussions on proposals. 

The efficient cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the AFD  launched in 2012.

In Armenia the AFD portfolio amounts to 125.5 million euros.  Cooperation framework includes the following programs:

On June 12, 2013, a financing agreement with the amount of EUR  500.000 was signed between the Government of the Republic of Armenia  and the French Development Agency. Grant funds were used to conduct a  series of purposefulness studies on the implementation of  infrastructure projects.

Within the framework of the loan agreement between the "National  Mortgage Company" Refinancing Credit Organization CJSC of Armenia and  the French Development Agency signed on December 19, 2013, with the  EUR 10 million loan funds provided by the AFD, the National Mortgage  Company refinanced mortgage loans provided by its partner financial  institutions.

In order to finance the construction of Vedi reservoir signed on  January 26, 2016, the French Development Agency allocated to the  Republic of Armenia a loan of EUR 75 million. It is planned to build  a reservoir with a volume of 26 million cubic meters. Full  implementation of the program will enable to ease water scarcity in  Ararat Valley, as well as to pass from manual irrigation to gravity  irrigation system, which will in its turn result in electricity  savings.

Within the framework of the budget support loan agreement between the  Government of the Republic of Armenia and the French Development  Agency with the amount of EUR 40 million signed on November 30, 2016,  reforms were carried out in the spheres of promoting stability in  fiscal, social and environmental sectors and strengthening the  competitiveness within the framework of the implementation of  prerequisites for getting the loan.