YEREVAN, January 18. /ARKA/.  We are long-standing partners of Armenia where we have invested over €2 billion euros in 205 projects to date, over 90% of which is in private sector, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Vice President Mark Bowman said in an exclusive interview with ARKA news agency.

‘With Yerevan, we have had a long and special relationship as it was one of the first cities to join our trademark Green Cities programme.  We have recently financed, together with EU and E5P fund, greener buses for Yerevan, which are joining the municipal fleet as we speak. Forty  buses have already been delivered and another 47 are on their way,’  he said.

‘In the past, we have supported Yerevan Metro rehabilitation, by upgrading the metro-cars, constructing drainage tunnel and necessary infrastructure. The Bank intends to continue the investments in the metro infrastructure in particular improvement of its energy efficiency.

In several districts of Yerevan, the water supply and waste water removal infrastructure has been rehabilitated by the Bank’s support and co-financing facilities of EU and EIB. The EBRD is financing the modernisation of street lighting in 28 streets of Yerevan. Apart from financial support, we are also helping Yerevan Municipality and Yerevan Bus Company with the integration of transport management and ticketing systems.  However, there is still a lot of room for improving transport infrastructure in Yerevan, and the Bank stands ready to support it, if the city decides to use our assistance.’

You can read the interview in full here. -0-