[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5887-5888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2618]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 4617]


The Department of State on Behalf of Millennium Challenge 
Corporation Section 608(a), Pub. L. 108-199 (Division D) FR 04-02; 
Notice of Countries That are Candidates for Millennium Challenge 
Account Eligibility in FY 2004 and of Countries That are Not Candidates 
Because of Legal Prohibitions

AGENCY: Millennium Challenge Corporation.
SUMMARY: The Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (the ``Act'') authorizes 
the provision of assistance to countries that enter into compacts with 
the United States to support policies and programs that advance the 
prospects of such countries achieving lasting economic growth and 
poverty reduction. The Act requires the Millennium Challenge 
Corporation to take a number of steps in determining the countries 
that, based on their demonstrated commitment to just and democratic 
governance, economic freedom and investing in their people, will be 
eligible countries for Millennium Challenge Account (``MCA'') 
assistance during Fiscal Year 2004. These steps include the publication 
of Notices in the Federal Register that identify:
    1. The ``candidate countries'' for MCA assistance (Section 
606(a)(1) of the Act);
    2. the eligibility criteria and methodology that will be used to 
choose ``eligible countries'' from among the ``candidate countries'' 
(Section 608(b) of the Act); and
    3. the countries determined by the Board of Directors of the 
Millennium Challenge Corporation to be ``eligible countries'' for 
Fiscal Year 2004 and identify the countries on the list of eligible 
countries with which the Board will seek to enter into compacts 
(Section 608 (d) of the Act).
    This Notice is the first of the three required Notices listed 
above.

Candidate Countries

    The Act requires the identification of all countries that are 
candidates to receive MCA assistance in FY 2004 and the identification 
of all countries that would be candidate countries but for legal 
prohibitions. Section 606(a)(1) of the Act provides that, during FY 
2004, countries shall be candidate countries for the MCA if they:
    <bullet<ls-thn-eq> are eligible for assistance from the 
International Development Association;
    <bullet<ls-thn-eq> have a per capita income equal to or less than 
the historic ceiling of the International Development Association (or 
$1415 for FY 2004);
    <bullet<ls-thn-eq> and are not subject to legal provisions that 
prohibit them from receiving United States economic assistance under 
Part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.
    Pursuant to Section 606(c) of the Act, the Board of Directors of 
the Millennium Challenge Corporation has identified the following 
countries as candidate countries under the Act for FY 2004:

1. Afghanistan
2. Albania
3. Angola
4. Armenia
5. Azerbaijan
6. Bangladesh
7. Benin
8. Bhutan
9. Bolivia
10. Bosnia and Herzegovina
11. Burkina Faso
12. Cameroon
13. Cape Verde
14. Chad
15. Comoros
16. Congo, Dem. Rep.
17. Congo, Rep. (Brazzaville)
18. Djibouti
19. East Timor
20. Eritrea
21. Ethiopia
22. Gambia
23. Georgia
24. Ghana
25. Guinea
26. Guyana
27. Haiti
28. Honduras
29. India

[[Page 5888]]

30. Indonesia
31. Kenya
32. Kiribati
33. Kyrgyz Republic
34. Lao PDR
35. Lesotho
36. Madagascar
37. Malawi
38. Mali
39. Mauritania
40. Moldova
41. Mongolia
42. Mozambique
43. Nepal
44. Nicaragua
45. Niger
46. Nigeria
47. Pakistan
48. Papua New Guinea
49. Rwanda
50. Sao Tome and Principe
51. Senegal
52. Sierra Leone
53. Solomon Islands
54. Sri Lanka
55. Tajikistan
56. Tanzania
57. Togo
58. Tonga
59. Uganda
60. Vanuatu
61. Vietnam
62. Yemen, Rep.
63. Zambia

    Countries that would be considered candidate countries but are 
subject to legal provisions that prohibit them from receiving U.S. 
economic assistance under Part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, 
as amended (the ``Foreign Assistance Act''):
    1. Burma. Sanctions bar assistance to the government. Burma has 
been identified as a major drug-transit or major illicit drug producing 
country for 2004 (Presidential Determination No. 2003-38, dated 9/15/
03) and designated as having ``failed demonstrably'' to adhere to its 
international obligations and take the measures required by Section 
489(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act, thus making Burma ineligible 
for assistance. Burma is listed as a Tier III country under the 
Trafficking Victims Protection Act for not complying with minimum 
standards for eliminating trafficking and not making significant 
efforts to comply (Presidential Determination No. 2003-35, 9/9/03).
    2. Burundi is subject to Section 508 of the Foreign Operations, 
Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2004 (``FY 
2004 Appropriations Act''), which prohibits assistance to the 
government of a country whose duly elected head of government has been 
deposed by a military coup.
    3. Cambodia is subject to Section 561(b) of the FY 2004 
Appropriations Act, which prohibits assistance to the central 
government of Cambodia, except in specified circumstances.
    4. Central African Republic is subject to Section 508 of the FY 
2004 Appropriations Act.
    5. Cote d'Ivoire is subject Section 508 of the FY 2004 
Appropriations Act.
    6. Guinea-Bissau is subject to Section 508 of the FY 2004 
Appropriations Act.
    7. Liberia is subject to Section 620(q) of the Foreign Assistance 
Act and Section 512 of the FY 2004 Appropriations Act, both of which 
prohibit assistance under Part I of the Foreign Assistance Act based on 
past due indebtedness to the United States.
    8. Serbia is subject to Section 572 of the FY 2004 Appropriations 
Act, which requires that, after March 31, 2004, the availability of 
funds for assistance for Serbia requires the President to make a 
specified determination.
    9. Somalia is subject to Section 620(q) of the Foreign Assistance 
Act and Section 512 of the FY 2004 Appropriations Act.
    10. Sudan is subject to: Section 620(q) of the Foreign Assistance 
Act and Section 512 of the FY 2004 Appropriations Act. Sudan also is 
subject to Section 508 of the FY 2004 Appropriations Act and Section 
620A of the Foreign Assistance Act.
    11. Uzbekistan is subject to Section 568 of the FY 2004 
Appropriations Act, which requires that funds appropriated for 
assistance to the central Government of Uzbekistan may be made 
available only if the Secretary of State determines and reports to the 
Congress that the government is making substantial and continuing 
progress in meeting its commitments under a framework agreement with 
the United States.
    12. Zimbabwe is subject to Section 620(q) of the Foreign Assistance 
Act and Section 512 of the FY 2004 Appropriations Act.
    Countries identified above as candidate countries, as well as 
countries that would be considered candidate countries but for the 
applicability of legal provisions that prohibit U. S. economic 
assistance, may be the subject of future statutory restrictions or 
determinations, or changed country circumstances, that affect their 
legal eligibility for assistance under Part I of the Foreign Assistance 
Act during FY 2004. The Millennium Challenge Corporation will include 
any required updates on such statutory eligibility that affect 
countries' identification as candidate countries, at such time as it 
publishes the Notices required by Sections 608(b) and 608(d) of the Act 
or at other appropriate times. Any such updates with regard to the 
legal eligibility of countries will not alter the date on which the 
Board of Directors will be authorized to determine eligible countries 
from among candidate countries which, in accordance with Section 608(a) 
of the Act, shall be at least 90 days from the date of publication of 
this Notice.

    Dated: February 3, 2004.
Alan Larson,
Interim Chief Executive Officer, Millennium Challenge Corporation, 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 04-2618 Filed 2-5-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-07-P