23:58, 30 December 2020

Armenia announces reconstruction plan of roads in Syunik Region

The Syunik Region of Armenia. Photo: Yakovlev Sergey https://ru.wikipedia.org/

Reconstruction of roads in the Syunik Region is planned for 2021. The road reconstruction will ensure communication between villages, towns, and cities after some sections of the roads had come under the control of Azerbaijan, the Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures announces.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Azerbaijani armed forces took up strategically important positions not far from the capital of the Syunik Region of Armenia, and that fact provoked protests in the region. The road from Kapan to Agarak came under the control of Baku, and residents of the villages of Agarak, Uzhanis, and Yegvard found themselves partially blocked due to the poor condition of the alternative road.

On December 18, residents of the Syunik Region blocked the road from Goris to Kapan. The protestors demanded to cancel the decision to transfer the heights near Kapan to Azerbaijan. However, the Armenian military personnel left the strategic heights on the same day, and the Azerbaijani armed forces took up the positions. Local residents unblocked the road, but threatened to hold new protest actions.

According to Suren Papikyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures, alternative roads will be built to replace those that came under the control of Azerbaijan, the "Armenpress" reports.

There is an alternative road on the Kapan-Agarak section, but it is unpaved, Suren Papikyan has added. An order for its reconstruction has been already issued, and most likely, the reconstruction works will be started in 2021, the minister noted.

Earlier, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has declared the border with Azerbaijan in the Syunik Region to be temporary. After the protests of the people from the Syunik Region, the Armenian authorities have stated that at present, only the zones of actual control of the two countries are being determined.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 30, 2020 at 02:21 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.