Armenian organizations, US officials discuss financial aid programme

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5 May 05

The representatives of the Millennium Challenge Corporation [MCC],
who are paying a four-day visit to Armenia, will discuss with the
Armenian government details of the programme of aid to Armenia within
the framework of the corporation’s projects.

“We will sign a document called Compact with the Armenian government
in the near future in order to allocate money to Armenia within the
framework of the MCC project,” the MMC representative in Armenia,
Alex Russin, said.

He also said that they have already met a number of representatives
of the Armenian government. He even predicted the decision of the
corporation.

The representatives of the corporation also met public organizations
in order to discuss Armenia’s appeal to the MCC. The meeting was
arranged by an organization called Cooperation for Public Organizations
which was not sure that a press conference would be held after the
meeting. The discussion mainly focused on the question of whether it
is worth giving Armenia so much money when there are big corruption
risks, as a result of which the poor get poorer and the rich get
richer. The authorities are extremely corrupt and the level of
education and health is unsatisfactory.

Political analyst Agasi Yenokyan said that corruption risks are higher
in the spheres covered by the MCC project and in this situation,
the authorities are spending these funds on maintaining their own
administrative staff. Asked by Yenokyan whether the MCC had such an
aim in allocating money to Armenia, Russin declined to answer. The
representatives of other pubic organizations also said that the MCC
will not be able to change anything by giving 170m dollars to Armenia –
poverty will not fall and the economy will not develop.

The foreign representative of the World Vision international
organization noted: “You say that there is economic growth in Armenia
and the government is liberalizing the economy, but if you leave
the Central Bank, Finance Ministry or hotel, you cannot see it. The
economic resources are only used by those who are strong and rich.”
From: Baghdasarian