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WHY IS U.S. CUTTING DOWN FUNDING TO ARMENIA?
10:40, 16.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia
Theme: Politics, Economics
YEREVAN. - The Embassy of the United States (U.S.) in Yerevan released
a statement explaining the reasons for the future cutting down of U.S.
Government funding to the projects and programs being implemented
in Armenia.
"The U.S. Embassy would like to announce some anticipated changes to
its assistance budget for FY2015, which would take effect October 2015.
"The assistance budget of the United States is a reflection of our
ongoing and emerging national security challenges, President Obama's
signature policy and development initiatives, our security commitments
to allies and partners, and our conflict prevention, nonproliferation,
and peacekeeping activities around the world. Because of new global
priorities and developments over the past year (including the Ebola
crisis, ISIS, Syria and Ukraine), some difficult decisions had to be
made regarding our assistance programs globally. These new priorities
meant that assistance funding to many countries all over the world,
including in Europe, was significantly reduced. It is within this
context that a reduction was made to the amount of assistance
funds for Armenia. These reductions in funding for certain of our
assistance programs in Armenia were necessitated by budgetary demands
and additional global priorities, and in no way reflect the quality
of the programs that have been implemented, or the strength of the
U.S.-Armenia relationship.
"The reduction in the amount of assistance funds to Armenia will
affect both USAID and the U.S. Embassy's Office of Public Affairs. The
exact figures will not be confirmed for some time, but the Embassy
is proactively planning for a reduction in some new programming and
an early phase-out of certain other programs.
"Despite these reductions, USAID Armenia remains actively engaged
and will continue to focus on the highest priorities outlined in its
2013 country strategy for Armenia, which reflected input from the
Armenian government, civil society, and our Armenian partners. These
priorities include economic growth in rural development, tourism,
water and energy security and management, development of human capital,
municipal reform, anti-corruption, and child protection.
"The Embassy's Office of Public Affairs will continue to support Track
II programs that promote reconciliation with Armenia's neighbors,
and will continue to implement the Democracy Commission Small Grants
program, which aims to promote civil society, foster democratic
processes, and increase respect for human rights in Armenia.
"U.S. Government assistance to Armenia supports many other areas of
bilateral cooperation as well, including: our continuing support for
the development of procedures that ensure the safe operation of the
Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant and greater energy security for Armenia,
strengthening the justice sector and the ability of "law enforcement
to combat corruption, and training the police to build the capacity of
the new Police Domestic Violence Unit. The Department of Defense also
continues to work closely with the Ministry of Defense on increasing
the capability of Armenian peacekeepers and supporting defense reform.
"The United States has provided over 2 billion dollars in assistance
to Armenia since 1992," the statement reads.
Armenia News - NEWS.am
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
10:40, 16.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia
Theme: Politics, Economics
YEREVAN. - The Embassy of the United States (U.S.) in Yerevan released
a statement explaining the reasons for the future cutting down of U.S.
Government funding to the projects and programs being implemented
in Armenia.
"The U.S. Embassy would like to announce some anticipated changes to
its assistance budget for FY2015, which would take effect October 2015.
"The assistance budget of the United States is a reflection of our
ongoing and emerging national security challenges, President Obama's
signature policy and development initiatives, our security commitments
to allies and partners, and our conflict prevention, nonproliferation,
and peacekeeping activities around the world. Because of new global
priorities and developments over the past year (including the Ebola
crisis, ISIS, Syria and Ukraine), some difficult decisions had to be
made regarding our assistance programs globally. These new priorities
meant that assistance funding to many countries all over the world,
including in Europe, was significantly reduced. It is within this
context that a reduction was made to the amount of assistance
funds for Armenia. These reductions in funding for certain of our
assistance programs in Armenia were necessitated by budgetary demands
and additional global priorities, and in no way reflect the quality
of the programs that have been implemented, or the strength of the
U.S.-Armenia relationship.
"The reduction in the amount of assistance funds to Armenia will
affect both USAID and the U.S. Embassy's Office of Public Affairs. The
exact figures will not be confirmed for some time, but the Embassy
is proactively planning for a reduction in some new programming and
an early phase-out of certain other programs.
"Despite these reductions, USAID Armenia remains actively engaged
and will continue to focus on the highest priorities outlined in its
2013 country strategy for Armenia, which reflected input from the
Armenian government, civil society, and our Armenian partners. These
priorities include economic growth in rural development, tourism,
water and energy security and management, development of human capital,
municipal reform, anti-corruption, and child protection.
"The Embassy's Office of Public Affairs will continue to support Track
II programs that promote reconciliation with Armenia's neighbors,
and will continue to implement the Democracy Commission Small Grants
program, which aims to promote civil society, foster democratic
processes, and increase respect for human rights in Armenia.
"U.S. Government assistance to Armenia supports many other areas of
bilateral cooperation as well, including: our continuing support for
the development of procedures that ensure the safe operation of the
Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant and greater energy security for Armenia,
strengthening the justice sector and the ability of "law enforcement
to combat corruption, and training the police to build the capacity of
the new Police Domestic Violence Unit. The Department of Defense also
continues to work closely with the Ministry of Defense on increasing
the capability of Armenian peacekeepers and supporting defense reform.
"The United States has provided over 2 billion dollars in assistance
to Armenia since 1992," the statement reads.
Armenia News - NEWS.am
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress