Published since 1951
Published on March 13, 2008
U.S. THREATENS TO FREEZE AID TO ARMENIA
- The United States has expressed concern about the Armenian government’s continuing post-election crackdown on the opposition and threatened to suspend its multimillion-dollar economic assistance to Armenia. "We continue to follow with concern the current situation in Armenia," a spokesman for the White House, Tony Fratto, told reporters on Thursday. He pointed to the imposition of a state of emergency in Yerevan and mass arrests of opposition activists following the March 1 clashes between security forces and opposition supporters protesting against the official results of last month’s disputed presidential election. "The government of Armenia needs to uphold the rule of law, lift the state of emergency and restore press freedoms. We urge a political dialogue between the government and opposition to resolve the situation quickly," Fratto said, according to AFP news agency. Reuters quoted the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as telling a congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday that the emergency rule made it necessary to freeze some of the U.S. aid programs in Armenia. She did not elaborate. Rice apparently referred to $235.6 million in aid which Washington has promised allocate to Armenia under its Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) program designed to promote political and economic reforms around the world. U.S. officials have repeatedly said that the sum’s disbursement is conditional on democratic reform and improved governance in Armenia. In a Tuesday letter to President Robert Kocharian, the head of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), John Danilovich, warned that the U.S. government agency managing the scheme could “suspend or terminate” the five-year aid package due to the dramatic post-election developments in Armenia. “MCC is reviewing operational aspects of its ongoing work in Armenia in light of these events, including the suspension of media freedoms and the imposition of a state of emergency, and is closely monitoring the situation with U.S. Government and donor colleagues,” Danilovich wrote. He said MCC needs to be certain that “our programs operate in a democratic environment.” Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian acknowledged on Thursday that continued U.S. assistance to Armenia is now at serious risk. “It all depends on how the United States evaluates things, on how quickly we can get out of this situation,” he said. “Right now we are facing a dilemma: the country’s stability and the people’s security versus democratic values, liberties, civil rights,” Oskanian told a news conference. “The president of the republic is facing this dilemma.” “The situation is not clear-cut. He has to balance things, and that’s not an easy task. The longer this balancing act lasts, the more the public will suffer,” he said. Prime Minister and President-elect Serzh Sarkisian appears to be more sanguine in that regard, though. He chaired on Wednesday, the day after Danilovich’s letter to Kocharian, a meeting of the governing board of an Armenian government agency overseeing the use of MCA funds, which are due to be spent on upgrading the country’s battered irrigation networks and rural roads. A statement by Sarkisian’s press office said the government received about $11.3 million in MCA funding as of last December and expects to get the next installment of the promised aid, also worth $11.3 million, in the second quarter of this year. The aid package is essential for the success of the Sarkisian government’s efforts to reduce widespread rural poverty. According to Armenian and U.S. officials, the resulting infrastructure projects, if implemented, will benefit 75 percent of the country’s million-strong rural population. (Photolur photo)
Discussion
Henry wrote:
Oh my god, how will the corrupt government of Armenia fill its pockets if these guys stop sending money. They have already sold away to Moscow ,for quick cash, the electricity infrastructure, the telecom infrastructure, the energy infrastr., the transport infra., and all other major assets. They have nothing to sell anymore and they are still hungry.
Let me guess, if they don't get any free money from outside then the only thing they can still sell are the people.
Who knows, maybe a new sort of slave trade will develop in Armenia whereby the government will start selling Armenians to other countries.
They better hurry up there isn't much people left to sell anymore. There are 2.5 million left.
Sassoun of Tavit wrote:- Henry
Oh my god, how will the corrupt government of Armenia fill its pockets if these guys stop sending money. They have already sold away to Moscow ,for quick cash, the electricity infrastructure, the telecom infrastructure, the energy infrastr., the transport infra., and all other major assets. They have nothing to sell anymore and they are still hungry.
Let me guess, if they don't get any free money from outside then the only thing they can still sell are the people.
Who knows, maybe a new sort of slave trade will develop in Armenia whereby the government will start selling Armenians to other countries.
They better hurry up there isn't much people left to sell anymore. There are 2.5 million left.
Baklava and Sujuk can start to be exported to the globe that should make Hyastan a ton of extra money.
Yalla Bekaranin Mesh Choor Chigah- Henry
Shavarsh wrote:
WELL MAYBE YOU WILLING TO GIVE THAT MONEY TO ISRIEL AND THEY WILL FIGURE IT OUT WHO AND HOW SPEND IT FOR ZEHION RIGHTS AND NEEDS, 3.8 BILLION PER YEAR FOR ZEHION STILL COVERING UP THE EXPENCESS FOR BLOODY GLOBALIZM THE WOULD LIKE TO ROLE
US GOVERMENT IS OVER LIMITED AS WOULD HUMAN HISTORY EVERY EMPERIAL SYSTEM CLAPS AS THEY SLAVING THIER OWN PEOPLE ... IT IS A FACT THE US EMPERIALIZM IS GOING TO BE OVER WITHIN 21 CENTURY AND WILL BE JUST IN HISTORY.... SAD BUT IT IS REALTY
NEW ARMENIA AND NEW RUSSIA IS IN BEGING OF THE 21 CENTURY TO BECOME AS REAL HISTORY CREATORS...
132 days before | 
Headlines for March 13, 2008
U.S. THREATENS TO FREEZE AID TO ARMENIA
3The United States has expressed concern about the Armenian government’s continuing post-election crackdown on the opposition and threatened to suspend its multimillion-dollar economic assistance to Armenia. ...FUGITIVE OPPOSITION MP ARRESTED
4
Armenian law-enforcement authorities announced on Thursday the arrest of one of the two opposition parliamentarians who went into hiding following the deadly clashes between security forces and thousands ...EU CONCERNED ABOUT ARMENIAN CRACKDOWN
1
The European Union reiterated late Wednesday its calls for the Armenian authorities to lift the state of emergency in Yerevan, release all political prisoners and agree to an “independent investigation” ...KOCHARIAN SOFTENS CURBS ON PRESS FREEDOM
President Robert Kocharian on Thursday softened severe restrictions on media freedom stemming from the state of emergency in Yerevan which he imposed in the wake of last month’s disputed presidential ...RICE DOUBTS ANY SOLUTION SOON IN KARABAKH
By Susan Cornwell, Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed doubt on Wednesday that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh can be solved soon, saying there are problems on both sides. ...
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U.S. THREATENS TO FREEZE AID TO ARMENIA
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© AUA
Today in Armenian history- 1261 Treaty between the Byzantine Emperor Michael and the traders of Geneva (Italy). The successful Armenian traders of Smyrna are first mentioned in this treaty.
- 1797 Agha-Muhammad occupies Shooshee but is later killed there.
- 1809 The English-Persian agreement is signed. England promises to help Persia during the Russian-Persian war.
- 1817 Birth of Kerovbe Apenian in Constantinople, researcher of Classical Armenian, philologist, linguist, clergyman and member of the Mkhitarist Congregation.
- 1823 The Turkish-Persian reconciliation treaty was signed in Karin (Erzroom, Western Armenia). Bayazet is again ceded to Turkey.
- 1837 Senator Gun comes to Transcaucasia to examine the situation and to develop an outline for reforms.
- 1864 Birth of National ethnologist, archeologist, and ethnolinguist Yervand Lalayan in Gyoomree (formerly Alexandropol then Leninakan). He founded Armenian Ethnological Society and its museum.
- 1876 Birth of Aram Zardaryan in Sebastia. He was active in the American workers' movement. His remains were moved from the USA to Yerevan and laid in the City Pantheon.
- 1897 Birth of Yeghisheh Charents (writer) in Ghars (Western Armenia). He was murdered in 1937 by the Soviet Secret Police.
- 1907 Birth of engineer Sargis Tevosyan in Davalu (Ararat Region). He played a vital role in the development of Armenia's chemical industry. Kirovakan's Chemical College is named after him.
- 1955 Death of Dr. Artashes Abeghian.
- 1959 Death of Ashot Ter - Mkrtchyan, professor, mathematician, and mechanical engineer. He was prominent in science and technology.
- 1989 James Balyan was the first Armenian who flew in space on the "Discovery" spaceship. He was a doctor of medical sciences.
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