YEREVAN (ARKA), March 11—Armenian Minister of Transport and Communications Gurgen Sargsyan had a meeting with the Vice-President of the Department of Central and Western Region Asian Development Bank (ADB) Werner Liepach.

During the meeting the parties discussed and welcomed the Asian Development Bank’s credit program on the reconstruction of country roads.

The parties assured that the positive results of the program to rehabilitate the village roads will be a good basis for further programs.

The minister noted that the construction of the North-South highway is a very big and important program. He also said that he hoped that the construction would begin in 2010. In order to organize this process a new office will be created in the near future.

The parties also discussed the other programs of ADB, in particular, the consulting and training work for construction of the North-South railway and further options for co-financing this program.

On January 14, the Armenian government approved the investment program to build a North-South transport corridor, as well as the framework financial agreement between Armenia and the ADB in the amount of $500 million.

Translated from Russian by Yerevan Report