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  • Armenia, World Bank Cooperating Rather Effectively

    RIA Novosti
    October 30, 2004

    ARMENIA, WORLD BANK COOPERATING RATHER EFFECTIVELY


    YEREVAN, October 30 (RIA Novosti's Gamlet Matevosyan) - Cooperation
    between Armenia and the World Bank is developing rather effectively,
    President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia said at a conference involving
    Ms. Donna M. Dawsett-Coirolo, World Bank regional director for South
    Caucasus, Mr. Hussein Razawi, World Bank director for the
    infrastructure and energy sector, and Mr. Roger Robinson, director of
    the World Bank's Yerevan office.

    Mr. Kocharyan pointed out the World Bank's important role in
    facilitating the implementation of Armenian reforms, presidential
    press-service officials noted.

    Robert Kocharyan voiced hope to the effect that this influential
    international financial organization will continue to render all-out
    assistance to Armenia in the future, as well.

    Those taking part in the conference noted the importance of
    streamlining Armenia's tax and customs regulation legislation.

    Fuel and energy cooperation prospects were discussed, as well.

    The World Bank has implemented 36 programs worth nearly $821 million on
    Armenian territory.

    Armenia receives 40-year World Bank loans in accordance with IDA
    (International Development Association) terms; such loans, which are
    allocated to the world's poorest countries, stipulate 0.75% annual
    interest, as well as an easy-term ten-year period.

    In June 2004 the World Bank's board of executive directors endorsed a
    new Armenian-aid strategy for the 2005-2008 period. This strategy calls
    for setting aside loans to the tune of $220 million.

    The new strategy lists the following priorities:
    - helping the Armenian Government in its efforts to improve the
    business climate and to create more jobs;
    -facilitating better and more effective management;
    - streamlining the public-health system, the education system, as well
    as the basic infrastructure.

    The previous Armenian-aid strategy for the 2002-2004 period had
    stipulated loans worth about $190 million. Among other things, the
    World Bank had financed construction of 120 km of local roads within
    the framework of that strategy. The civil service reform was launched
    in line with the new law based on an institutional administration
    survey. More than 130 community projects were implemented, thus
    improving the life of 340,000 rural dwellers. 80 rural hospitals were
    constructed and 118 physicians retrained as family doctors. Over 200 km
    of irrigation canals were reconstructed, thereby enhancing the
    productivity of nearly 80,000 hectares of farmlands. 112 new textbooks
    were published and handed out to students all over Armenia; add to this
    50 teaching aids.
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