Drew Luten, assistant director for Europe and Eurasia at the USAID, said that 83 percent of the overall assistance granted to Croatia through the SEED program would be discontinued by the end of the fiscal year 2006, VOA said.
The fiscal year 2006 will be the last year in which Croatia and Bulgaria will be granted assistance. The fiscal year 2007 will be the last year in which Romania will receive fiscal assistance, said Luten.
Decisions on discontinuing the SEED assistance program are made on the basis of assessment of the progress countries receiving assistance have made in democratic and economic reforms. According to that criterion, Croatia has been rather successful, Luten said in a debate in Congress.