USAID Yerevan getting new chief, increasing funding for ArmeniaFebruary 10, 2016 - 16:41 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Karen R. Hilliard, the current director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Yerevan Mission, said Wednesday, February 10, she will soon be replaced by Deborah Grieser. Speaking to local reporters, she said her tenure is ending in May, ARKA reports. Prior to her appointment to Armenia in September 2012, Hilliard worked as the USAID representative in Mongolia. Grieser, who will take up her new job in June, is already in Armenia to get acquainted with the USAID-funded projects currently underway. According to Hilliard, the USAID is expected to increase its funding for Armenia, with a corresponding decision soon to be adopted by the U.S. Congress. Karen R. Hilliard served as Mission Director to Jamaica from 2007-2011, managing a multi-million program in economic reform, democracy and governance. Under her leadership, the Mission leveraged an additional $12 million through public/private partnerships. From 2006-2007, she served as Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting for the Agency’s Bureau for Global Health in Washington, and from 2003-2006 she was Deputy Regional Director for Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. Previously, she has worked in Haiti, Malawi, Nicaragua, Oman and Egypt. Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. U.S. believes peace is “possible” in South Caucasus The United States continues to believe that peace is possible in the South Caucasus, Vedant Patel said. |