ArmInfo.Armenia continues the negotiations over the attraction of funds of the declared 2.6bln Euros for implementing a number of infrastructures projects, Armenia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Paruyr Hovhannisyan stated at a meeting of the Standing Committee on European Integration, RA Parliament.
Funding of some programmes has been approved, evidence thereof is the purchase of new buses for Yerevan, support for SMEs, etc.. Most of the funds are intended for investment and other programmes, and the funding has been delayed not only because of official procedures in Europe, but also because of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.
"Last year funding of programmes in Armenia could have been discontinued as funds were directed to solving Ukraine-related problems. However, we could preserve the major part of funds, and this year the funding could be increased," Mr Hovhannisyan said.
Over the last two years, the EU has approved EUR 195mln worth programmes. One of the major directions is the construction of the 4th section of the North-South corridor, and the EU agreed to allocate 600mln Euros to the project.
Mr Hovhannisyan said that it is not only the EU that is interested in the development programmes in Armenia's Syunik province. Armenia and France have a "roadmap', and regional development programmes have been elaborated in cooperation with the USAID.
"Our focus is constantly on this, and I think we are going to see progress, especially given the interest a number of European, American and Canadian companies are taking in the region," Mr Hovhannisyan said.
