Expert: The situation near Vorotan is a reflection of Armenia`s lack  of a transport strategy

ArmInfo. situation in which the national security of an entire country depends on a thin strip of asphalt is shameful for us. Gagik Aghajanyan, executive director of  the large forwarding company "Apaven", expressed this opinion to  ArmInfo, commenting on the current situation on the Azerbaijani-  controlled section of the Goris-Kapan highway.

Since September 12, Azerbaijani police stationed near the village of  Vorotan in the Syunik region of Armenia have been stopping and  checking Iranian trucks, demanding tolls from drivers. On September  15, they detained two Iranian drivers, accusing them of delivering  goods to Artsakh. These actions of Azerbaijan have already created a  serious problem for the trade between Iran and Armenia, since many  truck drivers are simply not able to pay Azerbaijani levies.

"For 30 years, we have not been able to build a normal road  connecting the north with the south of the country.  Meanwhile, if  only $ 20 million were allocated annually from the state budget for  this purpose, the road would have been ready. What is happening today  on this section of the road is just a part of the general large-scale  problem that we have been repeating for at least the last 10 years.  The North-South highway construction project should have started from  Syunik, not from Ararat and Aragatsotn. However, the proper  conclusions, unfortunately, have not been drawn even today, "he said.

Assessing positively the very idea of building a road linking Armenia  with Iran and Georgia within the framework of the North-South  project, Aghajanyan believes that all roads under construction in  Armenia should be carried out exclusively in the depths of the  country, as far as possible from the borders. "In the end, we must  start building our own roads on our own in our own interests.  Especially when today on the Vorotan section we clearly see what  happens when others are building them," he said.

According to the expert, Armenia did not come to the proper  conclusions after the transport collapse that gripped the country as  a result of the conflict between Russia and Georgia in 2008. And the  situation continues to evolve by inertia today. Meanwhile, it was  2008 that should have become a good lesson for Armenia, prompting the  country's leadership to take appropriate actions in the direction of  creating alternative communications.  "The situation will change when  we realize the need to build roads and railways in accordance with  our own interests, when we realize that there is no alternative for  Armenia to become an independent, sovereign state. It is never too  late to rectify the situation. And it is necessary to start with the  development of a national transport strategy. Through which it is  necessary to first determine the priority areas of road construction  in accordance with the interests of national security. And  immediately start implementing it. Otherwise, similar situations on  the Goris- Kapan section of the road will always haunt us,  "Aghajanyan predicts.