FIRST PART OF GRANT TO BE GIVEN TO ARMENIA IN 2008 WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF EU NEW NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM INCLUDED IN DRAFT STATE BUDGET

Noyan Tapan
Nov 1, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAM. The first part of the grant of
15 million euros or 6.9 billion drams to be given to Armenia in 2008
within the frameweork of the EU New Neighborhood program is included in
the draft state budget of the coming year. Pavel Safarian, the First
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Armenia,
said this at the November 1 joint sitting of the National Assembly
standing committees.

According to him, financing of 3.2 billion drams out of this sum is
envisaged for vocational educational institutions as the development
and modernization of those institutions is the only event requiring
financing among the list of events envisaged by the EU program. The
rest sum of 3.7 billion drams is included as assistance to RA state
budget.

Avet Adonts, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee for European
Integration, in response to journalists’ questions, expressed
an idea that the state budget today does not fully reflect the
financing resources directed to implementation of Eurointegration
issues. According to him, besides the above mentioned EU program,
there are also other programs. In particular, a translation center is
envisaged to be created in the Ministry of Justice, the key goal of
which is to assist to bringing the Armenian Constitution in line with
European standards. It should be mentioned that 30 million drams was
allocated to the ministry by the 2007 state budget for this purpose
and 102 million drams is envisaged 2008 state budget.