PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS ON MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE PROGRAM TO BE HELD
Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Speaker of the RA National Assembly
Artur Baghdasarian on April 12 received a delegation headed by Chairman
of External Program Subcommission of the US House of Representaives
Allocattion Commission Jim Colby and Chief Executive Director of
the Millennium Challenge Fund (MCF) Amb. John Danilovich. According
to the RA National Assembly PR Department, the US Ambassador to
Armenia John Evans was present at the meeting. Issues related to
the implementation of Millennium Challenge Fund’s Armenian program
were discussed during the meeting. The 235 mln-dollar program aims
to promote economic development and poverty reduction in Armenia and
envisages such measures as major repairs of irrigation infrastructures
and 943 km of rural roads, as well as provision of technical credits
and microcredits to Armenian farms. A. Baghdasarian underlined the
program’s importance from three points of view: development of Armenian
marzes (regions) and reduction of the disproportion in development
of Yerevan and the marzes, deepening of democracy and introduction
of public control mechanisms by civil society. In the opinion of
A. Baghdasarian, the program will greatly contribute to the development
of Armenian marzes and the reduction of rural poverty. Speaking about
democratic reforms and economic development of Armenia, J. Danilovich
and J. Cilby underlined the necessity of political will, political
freedoms, rule of the law, publicity of the program’s implementation
and holding of the next national elections in line with international
standards for further implementation of these reforms. These are
conditions, whose fulfilment will ensure the efficient operation of
the program. John Danilovish stated once again the willingness of
the US top political leadership and the Millennium Challenge Fund
to follow these main principles, which determine the assistance to
Armenia under the program. At the meeting, an agreement was reached
to hold parliamentary hearings with the participation of the sides
concerned, during which the program will be presented in detail,
as well as issues related to public control and efficiency of the
program’s implementation will be discussed.