Armenia highlights importance of cooperation with ADB

ArmInfo. Armenia notes the importance of multi-sectoral cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the programs implemented by the Bank in Armenia. This  was stated by the Minister of Territorial Development and  Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia David Khudatyan during a  meeting with the ADB delegation headed by the Bank's Resident  Representative in Armenia Don Lambert.

According to the ministry's press service, the progress of jointly  implemented programs was discussed during the meeting. In particular,  the program for improving the seismic safety of schools and the  construction of the Sisian-Kajaran section within the fourth tranche  of the North-South project were discussed.

Issues related to reforms in the country's water sector were also  discussed.

Within the framework of the loan agreement signed between the  Government of Armenia and the Asian Development Bank, in 2015 the  Territorial Development Fund began implementing a program to improve  the seismic safety of schools in Armenia. It was noted that of the  total budget of the program, the ADB loan is $88.5 million, and the  government co-financing is $18.5 million. In 2024, a grant of $3  million was provided by the ADB to continue the program. The  beneficiaries of the program were 46 Armenian schools, of which 14  are in the capital, and, accordingly, 32 are located in the regions  of the country. The educational institutions were selected taking  into account the year of their construction, the level of seismic  safety and technical condition. After completion of the work, the  schools will become seismically resistant even in the event of a  9-point earthquake.

On January 16 of this year, the RA government approved a draft loan  agreement with the ADB for the construction of the North-South  highway - this is the third and final loan for the Sisian-Kajaran  section. A part of the Sisian-Kajaran road (27.1 km out of a total  length of 60 km) will be built with a loan of 236 million euros. It  is planned to build 16 bridges and three tunnels on this section. As  a result, the travel time from the Iranian border to Yerevan will be  reduced by an hour and a half. The road is planned to be equipped  with charging stations for electric vehicles. In total, the  construction is divided into three lots - northern, southern, and the  Bargushat tunnel (8.9 km), which will be the longest in the history  of independent Armenia.

Earlier, the Armenian government signed three more loan agreements  for the construction of the Sisian- Kajaran road - with the European  Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank  and the Eurasian Development Bank. Thus, the funding for the  Sisian-Kajaran road, in the amount of 708 million euros, has been  fully attracted.

The North-South transport corridor project is one of the largest  projects in the history of independent Armenia. This road will reduce  the distance from the Iranian to Georgian border from 550 to 490 km,  which will speed up travel through Armenia and create new  opportunities for the country to transit Iranian goods to the Black  Sea.