Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Oskanian Promotes Armenia Fund's New Project in Los Angeles

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Oskanian Promotes Armenia Fund's New Project in Los Angeles

    Armenia Fund, Inc.
    111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
    Glendale, CA 91206
    Tel: 818-243-6222
    Fax: 818-243-7222
    Web: www.armeniafund.org

    Contact: Sarkis Kotanjian
    [email protected]

    PRESS RELEASE
    May 23, 2006

    Oskanian Promotes Armenia Fund's New Project in Los Angeles

    Armenia Fund Embarks on Rural Poverty Eradication in 150 Armenian villages

    Los Angeles, CA - Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia, H.E.
    Vartan Oskanian, and Ambassador of Armenia to the United States, H.E.
    Tatoul Markarian were in Los Angeles on May 19-20 to promote Armenia
    Fund's new beneficiary project - Rural Poverty Eradication in Armenia.
    The Minister and Ambassador held meetings with Armenia Fund's leadership
    over the weekend, discussing plans for the socio-economic recovery
    program and its eventual implementation. The discussions were focused on
    prioritizing implementation strategies and the steps to carry out the
    program in the Diaspora and defining the organizational mechanisms
    through which Armenia Fund will implement public outreach, fundraising,
    communications and coordination of the Rural Poverty Eradication
    Program.

    Armenia Fund's International Board of Trustees, which includes prominent
    Diaspora Armenians - Charles Aznavour, Mark Geragos and Vartan
    Gregorian, among others, approved the large-scale reconstruction project
    aimed at eliminating rural poverty in Armenia and Karabakh. The program
    will parallel the works of the $235 million Millennium Challenge
    Corporation (MCC) project that is financed by the United States
    Government. The MCC will rebuild rural roads and install a modern
    irrigation network throughout the republic over the course of five years.

    `We envision that the Armenia Fund is best situated to take over as the
    umbrella which will appoint a governance board, a fiscal agent, as well
    as the management team. This ambitious program is a natural expansion of
    the Armenia Fund's mission - to facilitate infrastructure and
    development programs that are beyond the government's capacity,' said
    Oskanian.

    The economic blockades imposed by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan have
    crippled the fledgling republic's economy, leaving it without a safe and
    secure transit means of goods and services. Furthermore, with the
    collapse of the Soviet Union, the centralized Moscow-based economy
    shattered and sent negative ripple effects throughout Armenia. Roads,
    communication lines, irrigation and drinking water systems, as well as
    energy supplies were all hampered and damaged due to neglect.

    Building on the international momentum of increased aid to the economic
    recovery of the country, Armenia Fund will begin this unprecedented
    large-scale infrastructure development program. Armenia, at the
    assessment of international experts, has the potential to become the
    breadbasket of the region, despite being a landlocked mountainous country.

    "The decision to have the Armenia Fund as the organization to carry out
    the Rural Poverty Eradication Program speaks to the quality and track
    record of Armenia Fund. We are all proud to be a part of this new
    initiative," said Maria Mehranian, Chairperson of Armenia Fund, Inc.

    Through this project Armenia Fund will implement a comprehensive
    development plan in the rural regions of Armenia. The project will
    include development of waterways, irrigation systems, roads, educational
    facilities, hospitals as well as agricultural development assistance
    programs. Similar to the Martakert Regional Development Program,
    currently underway in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Rural Poverty Eradication
    Program will be developed by experts from Armenia, France, and the
    United States who are currently working with Armenia Fund.

    Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
    established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
    infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
    Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of `Hayastan'
    All-Armenian Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698
Working...
X