Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206
Tel: 818-243-6222
Fax: 818-243-7222
Web:
Contact: Sarkis Kotanjian
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
May 23, 2006
Oskanian Promotes Armenia Fund’s New Project in Los Angeles
Armenia Fund Embarks on Rural Poverty Eradication in 150 Armenian villages
Los Angeles, CA – Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia, H.E.
Vartan Oskanian, and Ambassador of Armenia to the United States, H.E.
Tatoul Markarian were in Los Angeles on May 19-20 to promote Armenia
Fund’s new beneficiary project – Rural Poverty Eradication in Armenia.
The Minister and Ambassador held meetings with Armenia Fund’s leadership
over the weekend, discussing plans for the socio-economic recovery
program and its eventual implementation. The discussions were focused on
prioritizing implementation strategies and the steps to carry out the
program in the Diaspora and defining the organizational mechanisms
through which Armenia Fund will implement public outreach, fundraising,
communications and coordination of the Rural Poverty Eradication
Program.
Armenia Fund’s International Board of Trustees, which includes prominent
Diaspora Armenians – Charles Aznavour, Mark Geragos and Vartan
Gregorian, among others, approved the large-scale reconstruction project
aimed at eliminating rural poverty in Armenia and Karabakh. The program
will parallel the works of the $235 million Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC) project that is financed by the United States
Government. The MCC will rebuild rural roads and install a modern
irrigation network throughout the republic over the course of five years.
`We envision that the Armenia Fund is best situated to take over as the
umbrella which will appoint a governance board, a fiscal agent, as well
as the management team. This ambitious program is a natural expansion of
the Armenia Fund’s mission – to facilitate infrastructure and
development programs that are beyond the government’s capacity,’ said
Oskanian.
The economic blockades imposed by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan have
crippled the fledgling republic’s economy, leaving it without a safe and
secure transit means of goods and services. Furthermore, with the
collapse of the Soviet Union, the centralized Moscow-based economy
shattered and sent negative ripple effects throughout Armenia. Roads,
communication lines, irrigation and drinking water systems, as well as
energy supplies were all hampered and damaged due to neglect.
Building on the international momentum of increased aid to the economic
recovery of the country, Armenia Fund will begin this unprecedented
large-scale infrastructure development program. Armenia, at the
assessment of international experts, has the potential to become the
breadbasket of the region, despite being a landlocked mountainous country.
“The decision to have the Armenia Fund as the organization to carry out
the Rural Poverty Eradication Program speaks to the quality and track
record of Armenia Fund. We are all proud to be a part of this new
initiative,” said Maria Mehranian, Chairperson of Armenia Fund, Inc.
Through this project Armenia Fund will implement a comprehensive
development plan in the rural regions of Armenia. The project will
include development of waterways, irrigation systems, roads, educational
facilities, hospitals as well as agricultural development assistance
programs. Similar to the Martakert Regional Development Program,
currently underway in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Rural Poverty Eradication
Program will be developed by experts from Armenia, France, and the
United States who are currently working with Armenia Fund.
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of `Hayastan’
All-Armenian Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698