Brookings Institution: Armenia ranks 105 in weak states list

PanARMENIAN.Net - Washington-based Brookings Institution and the Center for Global Development ranked 141 developing countries according to their performance in four core areas - economic, political, security and social welfare.



Using those indicators, Somalia, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo headed the list and were designated as "failed states." They were followed by Iraq, Burundi, Sudan, Central African Republic, Zimbabwe, Liberia and Ivory Coast.



Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were labeled as the weakest post soviet states ranking

35 and 36 respectively.



Tajikistan ranks 42, Russia at 65, Kyrgyzstan at 73, Azerbaijan at 80, Belarus at 81, Moldova at 88, Kazakhstan and 89, Georgia at 90, Armenia at 105, Ukraine at 107, Latvia at 136 and Lithuania at 138.



"Given the role that weak states can play as incubators and breeding grounds for transnational security threats, building state capacity ... should be a higher priority for U.S. policy," said the report.



A weak state is defined as one lacking the capacity to establish and maintain political institutions, secure the population from violent conflict and control their territories or to meet the basic needs of the population.



The report also included a "watch list" of countries that should be monitored by policymakers because of their significant weakness.