YEREVAN, APRIL 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Levon Barseghian, Seyran Martirosian and Artur Sakunts - members of the Board of Beneficiaries of the Millenium Challenge Fund - Armenia (MCF-Armenia) Program - expressed concern about the possible suspension of the program. According to their statement submitted to NT, as early as at the end of 2007, the 17 indices, by which the Millennium Challenge Corporation is guided when financing Armenia and other countries, were already worrying: 9 out of 17 indices were at risky levels. In particular, the violations during the last presidential election in Armenia, the postelection events, the mass violations of human rights, the restrictions on the freedom of press and expression have considetrably reduced a number of indices, which poses a serious threat from the viewpoint of the program's suspension or termination. In the opinion of the above mentioned members of the Board of Beneficiaries, the Armenian authorities must take the respective steps in order to rectify the situation, otherwise the country may leave the path of democracy and lose the support of the international community. To recap, MCF-Armenia Program shall receive 235.65 mln USD from the Corporation within 5 years for development of nearly three-fourths of the country's rural settlements.

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