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Agenda.ge,13 Jan 2017

The new bridge will be built over the Debed River at the Sadakhlo-Bagratashen border checkpoint.

Georgia and Armenia are creating a more efficient economic transport corridor facilitating regional trade and passenger flows by building a new bridge, named 'Friendship Bridge', to better connect the two countries.

Located 60 kilometres from Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, the bridge at the Sadakhlo-Bagratashen checkpoint is the main crossing between Georgia and Armenia.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced to provide a sovereign loan of up to €6 million to Georgia to co-finance works to build the cross-border bridge connecting Georgia with Armenia.

This investment fits well with the EBRD’s latest country strategy for Georgia, which is aimed at supporting the modernisation of infrastructure and helping to expand regional connectivity”, said Bruno Balvanera, EBRD Director for the Caucasus, Moldova and Belarus.

We look forward to continuing our successful cooperation with the country’s authorities and other international organisations to support the further development of Georgia. By working together with our partners, we can make a difference”, he added.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s Finance Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili said he was delighted with the fruitful cooperation between Georgia and the EBRD.

The EBRD is a reliable partner in terms of financial cooperation, intensified interaction with Europe and attraction of foreign direct investment from Europe. I hope our successful partnership will continue and significant projects will be implemented for the advancement of water supply and sewage systems, energy, transport, agriculture and tourism”, said Kumsishvili.

Georgia and Armenia announced the construction of the 'Friendship Bridge' in November 2016 as a symbol of the friendship between the two neighbouring states.

That time Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced construction of the new bridge would begin in 2017 and would be completed in less than two years.

The bridge will pass over Debed River and ease traffic travelling between the two nations, announced the Georgian and Armenian high officials.