Special attention will be rendered to compensation of proprietary right and archeological issues when implementing construction of North South transport corridor, according to Armenian Minister of Transport and Communication Manuk Vardanyan.
A French company developed the project, ordered by Asian Development Bank (ADB), whose requirements for social and ecology issues were strict, the Minister told journalists after presentation of North South transport corridor investment programs, Project 1 and Project 2.
The Minister emphasized importance of monetary compensation to owners of lost ground areas, buildings and business.
“Any proprietor, a legal entity or a citizen, or a community, regardless of type of ownership, should receive respective compensation,” said Vardanyan adding that unless ground areas are redeemed to become state’s property, construction of the road cannot be started.
According to the Minister, program presentation, notifying citizens about compensation means will be organized at all communities where the road will pass.
Vardanyan said that the state will try to exclude all shortcomings in the legal field in the issue of compensation, however if any drawbacks still persist, people may address a court.
The compensation will be totally covered from the Armenia’s budget, and is in no way connected with ADB tranches.
“Archeological issues will also be in the focus of Transportation Ministry, as there are spots on the whole length of the future road that aroused archeologists’ interest,” said the Minister adding that any decisions during construction of the road will be adopted after positive conclusion of archeologists.
Vardanyan stressed that ADB signifies this problem as well.
The total length of North South transport corridor will total 556 km from Armenian-Iranian border to Georgian. Asian Development Bank allotted a USD 500 million worth credit to fund a part of for North-South corridor construction program. The Corridor will allow Armenia to become a transit state in regional transportation industry, as well as join the Black Sea circular highway.
