Armenia begins construction of alternative road to Nagorno-Karabakh

YEREVAN, August 12. /ARKA/. Armenia has kicked off the construction of a section of the road that will become an alternative to the Lachin corridor that connects Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia's Public Television reported. According to it, the earthwork started sixth days ago.

Under the Russia-brokered truce accord that ended hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone in 2020 autumn, Azerbaijan and Armenia are to construct a new highway that will connect Karabakh and Armenia, bypassing the town of Lachin and two Armenian-populated villages located within the Lachin current corridor protected by Russian peacekeeping troops.

Armenian residents of Aghavno, Berdzor (Lachin) and Nerqin Sus located within the Lachin corridor, are to be evacuated before August 25 this year, while the villages will be handed over to Azerbaijan.

Each family of Aghavno is promised by the Karabakh government 10 million drams ($24,000) certificate for buying a new home in Karabakh or Armenia

The Armenian section of the new road is to be ready by spring 2023. According to Azerbaijani mass media reports, Azerbaijani and Turkish firms have completed the construction of a 32-kilomer-long highway in Azerbaijani territory that will link up new road sections in Armenia and Karabakh.

After August 25, until the end of the construction, the overland connection between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh will be carried out through the 4.5 km-long crushed stone section of the road, which is now being restored by a Karabakh construction company. -0-