The building of Kajaran tunnel on the south of Armenia, which will provide all-the-year-round transport communication between Armenia and Iran may start in late 2003. "Arminfo" agency was told about that by Armenian minister of transport and communication Andranik Manukian. In his words, the question of tunnel building will be discussed at the sitting of the Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental commission on in Teheran the 9th of December. Research works are being carried out at present. The minister mentioned that the Kajaran tunnel is of great strategic importance not only for Iran and Armenia, but also for the countries of Central Asia, which will get a short outlet to Transcaucasia and then to Europe, as it will shorten the way from Iran to Armenia for 12km. Much importance is attached to this tunnel also in the new version of TRASECA program and within the framework of the North-South transport corridor.