IMF approves new tranche of $21.6 million loan for ArmeniaJune 24, 2017 - 12:50 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Board of Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has decided to allocate a new credit tranche to Armenia in the amount of about $21.6 million, the IMF said in a press release. The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed on Thursday, June 23 the fifth and final review of Armenia’s economic performance under a three-year arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The completion of the review allows the authorities to draw the equivalent of SDR 15.69 million (about US$21.6 million). Armenia’s three-year extended arrangement for SDR 82.21 million (about US$111.57 million at the time of approval of the arrangement) was approved on March 7, 2014. Following the Executive Board discussion on Armenia, Mr. Tao Zhang, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, said: “Armenia has been facing challenging external conditions which have contributed to subdued domestic demand, weak fiscal revenues, and deflationary conditions. Nonetheless, program performance has been satisfactory. All end-December 2016 quantitative performance criteria, indicative targets, and structural benchmarks were met. Economic activity is expected to pick up in 2017 and over the medium term, however, downside risks and significant structural challenges remain. Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan. Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. 41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. |