YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. The agreement between the Russian and Georgian sides on expanding the road of Upper Lars and modernizing the border checkpoint will be implemented this year, Armenia’s minister of transport, communication and information technologies Vahan Martirosyan told reporters on March 6, reports Armenpress.

“The designing works will be completed soon and the construction will launch this year. We will have the modernization by the end of the year”, the minister said.

As for the construction of the tunnel, he said it as well will launch this year but the results will be visible later.

Commenting on the question is there any progress on finding an alternative route to Lars via South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the minister noted: “This topic is under everyone’s spotlight, but I again want to state that this issue is within the frames of the Russian-Georgian political relations. Of course, Armenia works on finding alternative routes. But the routes you mentioned are not the only alternatives. Today we have an alternative ferry route which operates successfully and most of the cargo is transported through this route”.

English –translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan