ArmenPress
March 25 2005

ARMENIAN PROPOSALS FOR MCA READY, FINANCE MINISTER SAYS

YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS: Armenian finance minister Vartan
Khachatrian said today that a package of government-developed
proposals designed to seek funding from a US government aid program,
Millennium Challenges Account (MCA), was ready and would be posted on
the ministry’s web site in these days.
He said the proposals will be sent to MCA to be followed by
US-Armenian talks, which he said may take some 6 months.
The Millennium Challenges Account (MCA) is part of a new U.S.
policy to help some countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the
former Soviet Union to continue their political and economic reforms.
The MCA was unveiled by President George W. Bush in 2002. Armenia is
among 16 developing countries selected by the United States to
benefit from the program.
Only two former Soviet republics, Armenia and neighboring Georgia,
were picked by the board administering the MCA. The other chosen
states are Benin, Cape Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali,
Mozambique, Senegal, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Vanuatu, Bolivia, Honduras
and Nicaragua.