On April 12, RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan received the delegation headed by Congressman Jim Kolbe, U.S. Chairman of the Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee and Ambassador John Danilovich, Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. John Evans, Ambassador of U.S. to Armenia attended the meeting.

During the meeting issues concerning the implementation of the Millennium Challenge Compact Armenia program were discussed. The 235 million dollars Millennium Challenge Compact program, which is focused on the economic development and reduction of rural poverty, designs to rehabilitate up to 943 km of rural roads, irrigation infrastructure schemes, provide technical and rural credit assistance. The NA President Artur Baghdasaryan highlighted the Millennium Challenge Compact Armenia program from three main viewpoints: the development of the marzes of Armenia – reduction of the disproportionate development of the capital and marzes, deepening of democracy and the input of the public monitoring mechanisms by the civil society. As the NA President assessed, the program will greatly assist to the development of the marzes, reduction of rural poverty. During the meeting the Millennium Challenge Compact Armenia program was also highlighted within the framework of 2007 and 2008 pan-national elections as assistance to the development of democracy.

Conveying his thanks to the U.S. Government for the continuous assistance to Armenia, the NA President highlighted the importance of external assistance for the democratic processes in the country, noting that “the economic development and deepening of democracy in Armenia should proceed side by side.”

Mr. Danilovich and Congressman Jim Kolbe, touching upon the democratic reforms and economic development of Armenia, noted the necessity of political will, providing political freedoms, priority of laws and publicity of the program implementation, holding the coming pan-national elections in accordance with international standards for deepening those reforms. In meeting those terms the program will fully work. The Ambassador Danilovich emphasized once again the resolve of the U.S. higher ranking political leaders and the Millennium Challenge Corporation to be led with the main standards, by which is conditioned the assistance to Armenia within the program.

The Ambassador Danilovich and Congressman Danilovich highlighted the high awareness of the deputies of the National Assembly and their participation in the monitoring of the implementation on the Millennium Challenge Compact Armenia program. An agreement was reached to organize parliamentary hearings in the National Assembly with participation of Government members, NGOs, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, U.S. Embassy and other parties concerned,  during which a detailed program will be introduced, the problems of public monitoring and efficiency of program implementation will be discussed.

RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan asked to convey his greetings to Mr. Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. Congress, and as there were congressmen in the delegation, the NA President also touched upon the problem of close relations and strengthening of the dialog between the U.S. Congress and RA National Assembly, highlighting the involvement of RA NA in the programs implementing upon the initiative of the U.S. Congress Democracy Assistance Committee. Congressman Jim Kolbe, U.S. Chairman of the Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee promised to assist in that issue.

During the meeting other issues were also discussed.