STEPANAKERT (Armenpress)– The first–second and third sections of the Goris-Stepanakert highway–linking Goris and Shoushi–was inaugurated Wednesday–in Karabakh.
Present at the official opening were Armenian President Robert Kocharian–Nagorno-Karabakh President Arkady Ghokassian–Armenian Prime Minister Armen Darbinian–Karabakh’s Prime Minister Jirair Boghossian– Karabakh Parliamentary Speaker Oleg Yesaian–Minister of Defense Samvel Babayan–Armenia’s Interior and National Security Minister Serj Sargssian–Constitutional Court Chairman Gakig Harutunyan–Director of the All-Armenia Fund Raffi Hovanessian and other officials and representatives.
Officials present at the opening of the highway stressed the importance of this highway in tactical as well as political terms for both Armenia and Karabakh. More than 200,000 Diasporan families contributed to the reconstruction of sections of this historic highway.
Executive Director of the All-Armenia fund Raffi Hovannisian stated that $8,800,000 were spent on construction. Hovanessian added that the entire highway will be complete by 1999.