YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The World Bank announced that the first assistance by a simplified system will be provided to Armenia and Congo to help these countries overcome the consequences of the global financial crisis. According to Radio Liberty, the WB International Development Association (IDA) has allocated a loan of 35 million USD to Armenia and a loan of 100 million USD to Congo. The World Bank has recently approved a package of 4 loans of a total of 85 million USD for Armenia, as well as the Global Ecological Fund's 1.5 million dollar grant to be provided to the country. The Armenian prime minister Tigran Sargsyan told Radio Liberty that the Armenian government and the World Bank had reached an agreement on 525 million USD. "These programs will be aimed at forming infrastructures and making reforms in the educational system, that is, our programs with the World Bank are related to all sectors. I think that rapid and efficient implementation of these programs will reduce the negative impact of the global economic crisis on us," the prime minister said.

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