Armenian National Committee of America
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PRESS RELEASE
November 18, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
U.S.-ARMENIA TRADE LEGISLATION MOVES STEP CLOSER TO PASSAGE
WASHINGTON, DC – Legislation which would permanently lift
restrictions on normal U.S-Armenia trade relations came one step
closer to its final passage this week, as Senate Majority Leader
Bill Frist (R-TN) took action to move the long-stalled
miscellaneous tariffs legislation (HR1047) forward, reported the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA.)
Upon the Senate’s return to session last Monday, Sen. Frist filed a
cloture petition, which would avert a Senate filibuster of the
tariffs legislation. Action on the petition is expected tomorrow
and requires 60 votes for passage. The mammouth legislation, which
includes the Armenia trade provision among hundreds of other trade
related issues, would then be up for full Senate consideration.
The House already passed the measure in October.
Passage of H.R. 1047 would successfully end a two-year effort, led
by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg (R-MI)
and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) in the House and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-
KY) in the Senate to secure passage of permanent normal trade
relations (PNTR) legislation for Armenia. The PNTR bill would help
increase U.S.-Armenia trade and investment, strengthening Armenia’s
free market economic development and integration into the world
economy. It would also help offset the devastating impact of the
dual Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades, estimated by the World Bank
as costing Armenia up to a third of its entire GDP (as much as $720
million annually) and half of its exports.