Yerevan, Armenia – Partners from Armenia, Georgia, Greece, and Turkey marked the official trans-regional opening of the Black Sea Silk Road Corridor at a public event in Yerevan on November 7. This was the first of the four inter-regional launches; others will take place in Akhaltsikhe (Georgia), Istanbul (Turkey), and Thessalonica (Greece).

The Black Sea Silk Road Corridor (BSSRC) is a 3,000 kilometer-long tourist trail stretching from Thessalonica, Greece to Meghri, Armenia. The corridor includes over 150 marked sites, an accompanying web portal and smartphone applications. The project is implemented by the AMAP Human Development NGO and funded by the EU Black Sea Basin Joint Operational Programme. Activities in Armenia are also co-financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Honorary Consul for Italy in Gyumri, the Armenian Travel Bureau, and Arminco Communications.

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Traian Hristea, diplomats of Greece, Georgia, Italy, and representatives from the Armenian government, the Holy See of Etchmiadzin and international organizations were present at the event, which featured an exhibition of regional and local crafts, foods, and traditional music performed by the New Names of Armenia. 

During the event, AMAP President Richard Ney introduced the launch of the BRIDGES project - a new USAID-funded tourism initiative that will focus on economic and cross-border development between Armenia and Eastern Anatolia. Through its three primary objectives, BRIDGES will foster the creation of a network of Armenian and Turkish tour operators, identify and inventory tourism experiences in this cross-border region, and promote the area as an attractive tourism destination.