Report on Countries That Are Candidates for Millennium Challenge Account Eligibility in FY 2005 and Countries That Would Be Candidates but for Legal Prohibitions

Section 608(d) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 requires the Millennium Challenge Corporation to publish a report that identifies countries that are "candidate countries" for Millennium Challenge Account assistance during FY 2005. The report is set forth in full below. Report: This report to Congress is provided in accordance with section 608(a) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, codified at 22 U.S.C. 7701 and 7707(a) (the "Act"). The Act authorizes the provision of Millennium Challenge Account ("MCA") 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 for MCA assistance during Fiscal Year 2005. These steps include the submission of reports to the congressional committees specified in the Act and the publication of notices in the Federal Register that identify: 1. The countries that are "candidate countries" for MCA assistance during Fiscal Year 2005 based on their per-capita income levels and their eligibility to receive assistance under U.S. law and countries that would be candidate countries but for legal prohibitions on assistance (section 608(a) of the Act); 2. The criteria and methodology that the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (the "Board") will use to measure and evaluate the relative policy performance of the candidate countries consistent with the requirements of section 607 of the Act in order to select "eligible countries" from among the "candidate countries" (section 608(b) of the Act); and 3. The list of countries determined by the Board to be "eligible countries" for Fiscal Year 2005, including which of the eligible countries the Board will seek to enter into MCA compacts (section 608(d) of the Act). This notice is the first of the three required notices listed above.