Yerevan, November 7 /Mediamax/. By the end of November Armenia will receive the first tranche from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian stated in Yerevan today.

Commenting on the urge of the Freedom House to the MCC to suspend the program for Armenia, Andranik Margarian recalled that for assessing the states, involved in the program, MCC uses 16 criteria, Mediamax reports. The head of the government stated that the criticism of the Freedom House, directed to Armenia, concerned only one criterion, and that will not become a cause for suspending.

On December 20, 2005, the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation has approved a five-year $235.65 million Compact with the Republic of Armenia. MCC has announced that the funds will be directed to the reduction of poverty in rural areas, where over one million Armenians, about 35% of the population, live.

The funds will be used for the rehabilitation of rural roads and irrigation systems of Armenia. It includes a $67 million project to rehabilitate up to 943 kilometers of rural roads, more than a third of Armenia’s proposed Lifeline road network, and a $146 million project for irrigation.

The program will directly impact 75% of the rural population and is expected to increase annual incomes by $36 million in 2010 and over $113 million in 2015.