YEREVAN. – Prime Minister of Armenia, Karen Karapetyan, instructed the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technology to find mechanisms for funding construction of the North-South Highway; for example, to find private investors that will build some sections of the road, and later, these roads will become toll roads, according to Chorrord Ishkhanutyun newspaper.

“In fact, Karen Karapetyan is not seeking alternative sources of funding the highway [construction], but alternative mechanisms for taking away the wealth of the kulaks [i.e. the rich rural proprietors]. And, indeed, if several people, let’s say, have ‘eaten’ some 100 million dollars from the North-South money, this money cannot be ‘bluntly’ demanded back.    

“Instead of that, let them build the road with this money, as ‘private investors,’ and then ‘slowly’ bring the money back. Thus, both the road will be constructed, and ‘their own persons’ will not suffer,” wrote Chorrord Ishkhanutyun.