ARMENIA CAN FUND CONSTRUCTION OF IRAN-ARMENIA RAILROAD FROM STATE BUDGET

ARKA
Aug 11, 2008

YEREVAN, August 11. /ARKA/. Armenia can finance the construction of
the railroad connecting the country with Iran out of its state budget
receipts, member of Bureau of ARF Dashnaktsutiun, the Head of ARFD
parliament group Vahan Hovhannisyan said.

"We have to find $1bln Drams for construction of the road," he told
a press conference.

According to him, the new railroad will help avoid Armenia’s transport
dependence on Georgia that is the only way connecting the country
with the outer world now.

Earlier, Armenian Minister of Transport and Communication Gurgen
Sargsyan reported that country’s President instructed to set up a
target commission to study the issue of construction of Armenia-Iran
railroad.

The Commission is to select the best project out of the three
available projects on construction of the railroad. According to the
preliminary estimates, the most advantageous one is Gagarin Station –
Gavar – Martuni – Jermuk route that is the shortest way to get also
to Vanadzor of Armenia and then to Georgia.