Yerevan, October 28. /ARKA/. IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) Management is satisfied with implementation of its programs in Armenia. As Henning Pedersen, Head of IFAD Programs in Armenia told, IFAD programs are being implemented successfully and achieve ''good results''. He mentioned that the fund follows financing of ''simple programs''. ''We started from rehabilitation of irrigation system and after that shifted to funding of rural districts and now we support the development of the business'', he said.

As Pedersen considers, many problems have been solved in the country. ''Tens years ago the problems were very painful for rural districts, however currently we face other ones- to change the water supply system, rehabilitation of link between producer and the market, increasing the revenues of the rural population'', he said. In his words, long-term financing, creation of relevant legal environment, as well as presence of institutional structures. He stressed that the new program of IFAD is focused on support of business and infrastructures.

Today Armenian Government and (International Fund for Agricultural Development) IFAD signed agreement on economic development of rural districts. In the frames of the agreement since March 2005 the 4th program of IFAD for development of entrepreneurship with the cost of USD 20.3 mln.

The first program of IFAD was launched already in 1996 and was aimed at rehabilitation of irrigation networks of Armenia, and the second the program of development of agriculture in northwestern of the Armenian regions. The cost of IFAD's first program was USD 8 mln and the second USD 15.5 mln. The third program for provision of agricultural services with participation of IFAD with cost of USD 15.5 mln will be completed in October 2004.