Following talks with Armenian Transport and Communications Minister Gurgen Sarkisian, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Paulo Romani said that Italian road construction companies are willing to participate in the international tender on the construction of new motorways which links Armenia and the Georgian Black Sea ports. In the autumn of 2008 during the Armenian President’s visit to Georgia, an agreement was made on constructing a transport corridor connecting Yerevan with Batumi. To this effect, Armenia and the Asian Development Bank signed a loan agreement. Around $120 million will be spent on this project for this year.