Freedom House Urges Millennium Challenge Not to Provide Aid to Armenia

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.