USSTATE.INFO.GOV
17 August 2005
United States Outlines Assistance to Armenia — Fiscal Year 2005
Fact sheet covers aid from October 1, 2004, to September 30, 2005
The following State Department fact sheet outlines U.S. assistance to
Armenia for fiscal year 2005 (October 1, 2004-September 30, 2005):
U.S. Department of State
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
Washington, D.C.
August 15, 2005
FACT SHEET
U.S. ASSISTANCE TO ARMENIA — FISCAL YEAR 2005
Armenia has made significant progress in political and economic reform, as
evidenced by its eligibility in FY 2005 to receive grants from the
Millennium Challenge Account. While economic growth has been strong in
certain sectors, it has yet to provide significant benefit to the vast
majority of the population. As such, U.S. assistance focuses on assisting
small- and medium-scale enterprise sector growth that will involve more
Armenians in the country’s expanding economy. Democracy, economic, and law
enforcement programs are targeted towards strengthening democratic
structures and foundations in Armenia and supporting regional stability and
security. All U.S. Government assistance programs include anti-corruption
components designed to strengthen local capacity for combating this pressing
global problem. In addition, U.S. Government assistance programs support
interaction between Armenia and its neighbors in an effort to increase
regional stability and encourage resolution to ongoing conflicts.
The estimated $84.4 million budgeted by all U.S. Government agencies for
assistance programs in Armenia in FY 2005 is allocated roughly as follows
(based on information available as of the date of this fact sheet):
Democracy Programs
$11.4 million
Economic & Social Reform
$43.5 million
Security & Law Enforcement
$19.1 million
Humanitarian Assistance
$1.5 million
Cross Sectoral Initiatives
$8.9 million
Democracy programs in Armenia aim to increase citizen participation in
public affairs, strengthen the rule of law, build the capacity of the
National Assembly, improve local and state governance, and support
independent media. U.S. assistance programs continue to support grassroots
advocacy groups and initiatives that bring together local government
officials and citizens to solve community problems; develop civic education
materials and curricula; strengthen the work of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs); and educate citizens about their rights.
Small grant-making programs support the work of NGOs to foster civil
society, enhance local government accountability, and support local media.
Journalists, editors, and managers of media outlets are trained in business
management, fact-based journalism, and investigative journalism. Training
and exchange programs reach out to the next generation of Armenian leaders
and give them first-hand experience with the day-to-day functioning of a
market-based democracy. In 2005, the U.S. Government sent 186 Armenian
citizens to the United States on academic and professional exchange
programs. Since 1993, the U.S. has funded the travel of approximately 4,550
Armenian citizens to the U.S. on these programs in fields such as
management, democratic strengthening, social service provision, and NGO
development.
Broadening the base of economic growth through job creation and labor market
development is the primary goal of our economic assistance programs. U.S.
programs seek to increase access to credit for entrepreneurs, develop
markets for agribusinesses, improve tax and customs performance, improve
budget management, strengthen central bank supervision, enhance the
legislative framework for businesses, and boost progress in promising
sectors, such as information technology, tourism, and agriculture. U.S.
advisors support a budget training center for government employees with
equipment, training materials, and technical advice.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Development
Initiative in Armenia provides targeted and sustained technical, financial,
and marketing assistance to small- and medium-sized agribusinesses and
farmer-marketing associations. Increased production and improved marketing
have resulted in thousands of jobs in the agribusiness sector benefiting
farmers throughout Armenia. In 2005, USDA has extended its program to
working with the Government of Armenia to improve data collection in
agriculture, adopt international sanitary standards, and to develop policies
that promote increased trade in agricultural products.
U.S.-funded social reform programs provide technical support to a
centralized data administration center to improve the administration and
tracking of family benefits for Armenia’s poor while decreasing the
population’s dependency on government assistance. U.S. Government technical
assistance helps the Ministry of Labor and Social Issues design, administer,
and distribute a new social security card to ensure that benefits flow to
the unemployed and the needy. U.S.-supported health programs work to
strengthen national institutional capacity for primary health care reform
and to reinvigorate the provision of primary health care services at the
facility level in order to meet immediate needs of Armenia’s population
Security and law enforcement assistance programs aim to improve stability in
Armenia and in the region, as well as to enhance Armenia’s current support
of the Global War on Terrorism. To promote interoperability with U.S. and
other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, the Foreign Military
Financing, International Military Education and Training, Joint Contact
Team, and State Partnership programs provide professional military education
and exchange opportunities, enhance peacekeeping capabilities, and modernize
military communications. The U.S. Government also provides nonproliferation
assistance for Armenia, including funding peaceful research activities with
biological and chemical scientists. The U.S. is funding science centers,
bio-chem redirect, and bio-industry initiative programs and is working
through the multilateral International Science and Technology Center in
Moscow to engage scientists from the former Soviet Union in transparent,
sustainable, and cooperative civilian research projects. U.S. funding also
provides nonproliferation assistance to the Civilian Research and
Development Foundation (CRDF). The U.S. continues to fund safety
improvements at the Metsamor nuclear reactor and support Armenia’s nuclear
regulator.
Our Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance (EXBS) program
continues to work with Armenian export control officials, customs, and
border guards to improve their prevention capabilities against weapons
proliferation and other illicit trafficking.
A variety of U.S. programs provide assistance to reform Armenia’s law
enforcement and judicial sectors. These programs have helped to establish
computer classrooms for law enforcement training, provide expertise for
modern curricula at law enforcement academies, and provide technical
assistance to judges and lawyers to help establish an independent judiciary.
The U.S. is also providing upgrades to the law enforcement computer
infrastructure in order to connect regional police precincts with central
offices. In addition, assistance programs support the government and NGOs in
Armenia to help address trafficking in persons.
Donated humanitarian commodities valued at approximately $10 million —
including medicines, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and supplies, school
equipment and supplies, clothing, and food — are shipped and distributed to
the most needy Armenians in the country’s rural towns and villages. The U.S.
has supported a medical outpatient clinic in the city of Alaverdi since
October 2001. In addition, the U.S. Government will provide additional
food-aid commodities to be distributed to vulnerable groups through the
World Food Program’s relief operations. USDA executes a program to install
or repair village water wells in selected villages with drinking water for
domestic and livestock use and for crop irrigation. One hundred communities
benefited from this program through FY 2005.
U.S. Government support for humanitarian demining programs helps communities
in border regions by recovering valuable lands that can now be used for
agricultural development and public use. The Earthquake Zone Recovery
Program provides assistance for housing compensation/rehabilitation and
other economic and social programs in the Shirak and Lori regions and the
surrounding areas. This program will house roughly 6,500 people through the
use of vouchers and housing grants by the end of 2005, when the project will
be completed.
Currently, the Peace Corps has more than 80 volunteers who teach English and
conduct seminars in business and community development and environmental
education.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: )

ARMENIAN SIDE DENIES REPORTS ABOUT TAKING AZERI SERVICEMAN PRISONER
YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Defence Ministry spokesman
Seyran Shahsuvarian dispelled the rumors that an Azeri sergeant
was taken prisoner by the Armenian armed forces. The Azerbaijani
television company ATV reported that Ramil Khudaverdiev, a sergeant
of the Azerbaijani army was recently taken prisoner by the Armenian
armed forces.

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: “UN PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED IN ARMENIA STRIKING WITH
THIER EFFICIENCY”
YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. UN programs implemented in Armenia
are striking both with their volume and efficiency. RA President Robert
Kocharian stated this receiving Consuelo Vidal, the newly appointed UN
Coordinator, the Permanent Representative of the UN Development Program
in Armenia, on August 17. The President expressed a hope that the
bilateral cooperation will go on with the same efficiency. According
to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by the RA President’s
Press Office, the newly appointed UN Coordinator in Armenia also
appriciated the productivity of implemented programs and active
assistance of the authorities of Armenia in that direction.

PACE CHAIRMAN RENE VAN DER LINDEN TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA ON AUGUST 18
YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. By RA NA Chairman Artur Baghdasarian’s
invitation, Rene van der Linden, the Chairman of Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe will be on an official visit to Armenia on
August 18-20. Noyan Tapan was informed about this by the RA NA Public
Relations Department. The PACE Chairman’s meetings with ambassadors
of the member countries of the Council of Europe, representatives
of public organizations are scheduled for August 18. Rene van der
Linden will lay a wreath to the Tsitsernakabert Memorial Complex in
memory of the Armenian Genocide victims. Karekin II, Catholicos of
All Armenians will receive him the same day. Meetings with the NA
delegation to the PACE, members of the RA NA Interim Committee on
Foreign Relations, with the NA political forces are scheduled for
August 19. Rene van der Linden will have a private conversation with
Artur Baghdasarian, the RA NA Chairman. Meetings with Vardan Oskanian,
the Foreign Minister; David Haroutiunian, the Minister of Justice;
RA President Robert Kocharian are scheduled for the same day.

Embassy of The United States
Yerevan, Armenia
August 17, 2005
Sw earing-In Ceremony Held for Peace Corps Armenia Volunteers
On August 15 the thirteenth group of Peace Corps Armenia volunteers was
sworn-in at the Armenia Marriott Hotel. The ceremony, which has become an
annual event, was opened by U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans. The 43
volunteers who were sworn-in have completed three months of language,
cultural, technical, and safety and security training to prepare them for
two years of service in towns and villages throughout Armenia. Volunteers
will collaborate with Armenian counterpart organizations in the areas of
English language education, business and community development, and health
and environmental education.
Armenian ministry representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Ministry of Trade and Economic Development, Ministry of Education and
Science, Ministry of Health Care and Ministry of Nature Protection were
invited to address the volunteers.
Peace Corps Armenia was established in 1992 at the invitation of the
Government of Armenia. Since that time, 500 Peace Corps volunteers have
served in Armenia. With the addition of this new group, 90 volunteers will
work in schools, universities, NGOs, and health facilities throughout
Armenia. The U. S. Peace Corps was founded in 1961 by United States
President John F. Kennedy. The organization has three goals: to provide
trained assistance to people of other countries as requested, to promote a
better understanding of Americans by the people of the countries in which
they serve, and to promote a better understanding of other cultures by
Americans.
A group of new Peace Corps volunteers following their swearing-in.
Peace Corps Armenia Director Patrick Hart is greeting the guests and the volunteers
U.S. Ambassador John M. Evans is opening the swearing in ceremony of the
13th group of Peace Corps Armenian volunteers.
U.S. Ambassador John M. Evans is leading the swearing-in ceremony.
Peace Corps volunteers perform an Armenia song

OFFICIAL WEB-SITE OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF MILLENIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT-ARMENIA OPENS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The official web-site of the Board
of Trustees of the Millenium Challenge Account-Armenia (MCA-Armenia)
opened with a goal to secure publicity of the process of working out
and implementation of the Armenian program of the “Millenium Challenge”
fund. The address of the web-site is Information concerning
the process of working out of the MCA-Armenia program is placed in the
web-site. In the web-site, special attention is paid to covering of
the consulting process to reach the goal of providing the publicity and
transparency of the process. At the same time, necessary conditions are
created for providing direct questioning and, with the help of a forum,
a retrospective tie with people not involved in the consulting process.

Abkhazian president discusses military plans
RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 17 2005
MOSCOW, August 17 (RIA Novosti) – Abkhazia plans to use Russian
military specialists in its army, the president of the self-proclaimed
republic in Georgia said Wednesday.
“Our army is not rich – only 20% of its financing comes from
the budget,” Sergei Bagapsh said. “However, it is very mobile,
10,000-12,000-strong without reservists. It is much stronger with
reservists.”
Bagapsh said military exercises involving 6,000 troops were currently
under way in the republic and noted that Abkhazia adheres to a
defensive military doctrine.
“Statements that Abkhazia is importing weapons are groundless,”
he said. “We would be happy if someone took [the weapons remaining
from the Georgian-Abkhazian armed conflict in the early 1990s] away
from us.”
The Abkhazian president confirmed that his country would render
military aid to three self-proclaimed republics of the former Soviet
territory (Nagorny Karabakh, South Ossetia, and Transdnestr) in the
case of aggression against any one of them.
Bagapsh also said the agreements between the self-proclaimed republics
covered issues of peace, good-neighborliness, and cultural cooperation.

EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO ARA GYULER’S 77TH ANNIVERSARY OPENS
ISTANBUL, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. According to
“Marmara,” an exhibition organized on the occasion of the 77th
anniversary of Ara Gyuler, a Turkish Armenian photographer, is covered
by numerous Turkish newspapers. On August 16, “Zama” paid attention
to Ara Gyuler’s art. Oulkyu Eozel responded Ara Gyuler’s theory,
according to which a photo is not a photo if there is no person in
it. “Even the picture of the Saint Sofia temple will cost nothing
if there is no person passing in front of it,” Gyuler said in the
interview given to the newspaper. “Everything has been created for
people: a plane is for people, temples are for people. There is
no civilization without people. There is no photo without people,
either,” he said. Ara Gyuler also mentioned that only thirty photos
from his hundreds of thousands pictures will stay in history.

URARTU UNIVERSITY AWARDED GOLD MEDAL OF GENEVA INTERNATIONAL FUND
YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The Geneva International Fund of
High Quality and Practical Functions awarded a gold medal to the
Yerevan Urartu University of Practical Psychology and Sociology for
its efficient educational and scientific activities. The university
rector Prof. Sedrak Sedrakian told NT correspondent that the award
giving ceremony will take place at the 9th international conference
“For High Quality of Business and Education” to be held in Geneva
on September 15-16. Urartu University was founded in 1990. At
present, it has a state accreditation and is cooperating with
many international scientific centers and universities. In 2002,
a branch of Urarty University opened in Los Angeles, which offers
master’s degree programs approved by the US government. The university
graduates work in Armenia, as well as in various psychological and
sociological centers abroad. Since 2005, the university started
a two-degree educational system: bachelor’s and master’s degree
programs. According to S. Sedrakian, today no fundamental research in
psychology is being conducted in Armenia. At the initiative of Urartu
University, a Psychological and Sociological Research Center will
open by late 2005 in order to fill this gap. It is also envisaged to
open a psychological service center adjunct to the university. Urartu
University cooperates on a contract basis with such higher educational
institutions of Yerevan as Interlingva University, the University of
Management and High Technologies and the Financial Academy.

Jordan 0-0 Armenia
Armenia limbered up for the visit of the Netherlands with a goalless
draw in Jordan. The middle-east state, ranked 62nd in the world,
provided a testing workout ahead of the showdown with the Dutch on
3 September.
One win
Armenia lie sixth of seven teams in FIFA World Cup qualifying Group
1, having picked up just a single win and four points from nine
matches. Marco van Basten’s Netherlands side, meanwhile, lead the group
on 22 points and shared a 2-2 draw with Germany on Wednesday night.
Good omen
However, the Armenians will take heart from the fact that they limited
the Dutch to a 2-0 victory in the corresponding fixture in Eindhoven
last March.
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