Freedom House Urges Millennium Challenge Not to Provide Aid to ArmeniaNovember 4, 2006 - 14:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A leading U.S. human rights organization urged the U.S. Administration on Friday to withhold promised economic assistance to Armenia and six other developing countries which it believes fail to meet "reasonable standards" for democracy and civil liberties. "November 8 the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation has to choose governments of those countries, which can appeal for assistance in 2007," the Freedom House remarks and urges to leave out countries, which have low marks in political rights and civil liberties. These include Armenia, Bhutan, Egypt, Jordan, Maldives, Tunisia and Vietnam, says a Freedom House statement released November 3. This September the Millennium Challenge Account was officially launched in Armenia. According to it the US will provide $236 million to Armenia within 5 years - basically for agriculture. «The Freedom House urges the Corporation to follow countries like Armenia, with which agreements are signed but which do not ensure promised indicators in democratic government. Armenia is the major one, as it was among the first countries to sign the agreement this year. However, Armenia registered regress in implementation of the reforms,» concludes the Freedom House, reports RFE/RL. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |