Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend K.Zarbaliyeva / Dr. Douglas Menarchik, Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will visit Azerbaijan on January 6, 2008. During his visit Dr. Menarchik will meet with representatives of the Government of Azerbaijan and USAID partner organizations working in the country, the US Embassy's Office of Public Affairs reported to Trend. Also, he will visit major USAID-funded projects supported by the American people, and meet with project implementers and beneficiaries in the capital and in north-eastern Azerbaijan.
USAID has invested $284 million in Azerbaijan since 1992. USAID-funded projects are designed to support enhanced macroeconomic stability; improved public expenditure efficiency; improved financial sector linkages for the micro, small and medium enterprises sectors; strengthened enterprise competitiveness; improved health care service delivery; strengthened democratic processes; and robust civil society institutions.
Dr. Menarchik directs an approximately $700 million annual budget, which supports economic growth and fiscal reform, democracy-building and social transition projects in European and Eurasian countries receiving U.S. foreign assistance. Dr. Menarchik joined USAID in 2004 as Assistant Administrator for Policy and Program Coordination. Prior to joining USAID, Menarchik was Director of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. He was Director of the National Defense University's civilian war college for senior defense officials, Professor of Democratic Defense Management at the George C. Marshall European Center for Strategic Studies and Defense Economics in Garmisch, Germany, and has served as Assistant for Terrorism Policy at the Pentagon. While at the Pentagon, he developed the Defense Department's Strategic Plan for Combating Terrorism.