Fact Sheet: Foreign Operations Appropriated Assistance – Armenia

FACT SHEET: FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATED ASSISTANCE – ARMENIA

US Fed News
January 20, 2009 Tuesday 11:18 PM EST

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
issued the following fact sheet:

Foreign Operations Appropriated Assistance*

Fiscal Year (FY) 2007: $63.79 Million (M) ($58M FSA, $5.79M Other)

Estimate FY 2008: $62.39M ($58.03M FSA, $4.36M Other)**

Assistance Goals: United States Government (USG) assistance supports
democratic and social reform to enhance regional stability and the
development of the infrastructure and institutions necessary to become
a free-market, democratic nation. USG assistance also supports the
peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan
and improved relations with Turkey needed to enhance movement of
goods and people throughout the region, and to create a better trade
and investment environment.

Areas of Focus (Foreign Operations Appropriated Assistance):

Peace and Security (PS): FY 2007: $12.21M; Est. FY 2008: $8.72M

* Increase Armenia’s ability to control its borders to prevent
smuggling;

* Improve the law-enforcement capacity and legal-regulatory structure
for Armenian border security and export control;

* Support development of U.S./NATO-interoperable defense institutions
and of medical, de-mining, and peacekeeping capabilities.

Governing Justly and Democratically (GJD): FY 2007: $17.92M; Est. FY
2008: $21.1M

* Promote democratic principles and institutions in all levels
of society;

* Increase public policy cooperation / dialogue between civil society
and government;

* Promote free, fair, and participatory elections.

Investing in People (IIP): FY 2007: $13.98M; Est. FY 08: $10.9M

* Increase the use of sustainable, high quality health and reproductive
care services;

* Increase access to education and health care in rural areas;

* Strengthen Armenia’s social protection departments and agencies.

Economic Growth (EG): FY 2007: $17.49M; Est. FY 2008: $20.08M

* Address economic imbalances and unemployment in Armenia;

* Encourage and support economic growth in sustainable sectors;

* Develop legal and regulatory reforms to open up the business
environment and make the private sector more competitive.

Humanitarian Assistance (HA): FY 2007: $1.4M; Est. FY 2008: $1.6M

Relieve suffering of vulnerable populations by providing donated food,
clothing, and medicine;

Collaborate with in-country NGOs and local officials to build
partnerships between the people of Armenia and the people of the
United States.

Recent Successes:

* USG grants to community organizations supported programs that
directly benefited over 3,000 citizens and indirectly benefited
82,000 others.

* Completion of 12 small reconstruction projects which improved the
quality of life for the institutionalized through structural repair
of beneficiary institutions.

* Through a business and association development program, strengthened
key industries to help increase tourism by 49% and added 2,146
sustainable IT jobs.

* Supported alternative dispute resolution practices in Armenia,
resulting in an increase in the number of businessmen applying to
the Arbitration Court.

* Provided upgrades to Armenian law enforcement’s computer network
thereby improving real-time communication among precincts in Yerevan
and the regions.

* Translated and published a book of the decisions issued by the
European Court of Human Rights to promote compliance with international
standards.

* Trained approximately 50 Armenian prosecutors as part of trial
advocacy seminars.