REP. PALLONE CALLS FOR PARITY IN ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN MILITARY ASSISTANCE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 09 2006

WASHINGTON, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Congressman Frank
Pallone (D-NJ), Co-Chairman of the Armenian Issues Caucus, took to the
floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on March 7 to criticize the
Administration’s “breach of an agreement struck between the White House
and Congress in 2001 to maintain parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia
and Azerbaijan,” reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA). The Bush Administration recommended last month, in its Fiscal
Year 2007 budget, that Azerbaijan receive significantly more military
training and hardware than Armenia. The President also proposed
cutting U.S. economic aid to Armenia from last year’s appropriation
of $74.4 million to $50 million, a nearly 33% reduction. The New
Jersey Congressman explained to his House colleagues that, “a lack
of military parity would weaken ongoing peace negotiations regarding
Nagorno Karabakh.

Furthermore, I believe that any imbalance will contribute to further
instability in the region if military parity is not achieved.” He
added that, “failing to respect the parity agreement undermines the
role of the U.S. as an impartial mediator of the Nagorno Karabagh
conflict.” Representative Pallone closed his remarks by noting that,
“in the coming weeks I will advocate to the Foreign Operations
Subcommittee to restore military parity, to increase economic
assistance to Armenia, and to provide for humanitarian aid to the
people of Nagorno Karabakh. It is incredibly important to reward our
allies and to send a message to Azerbaijan and Turkey that ethnically
charged genocides, illegal blockades of sovereign nations, and the
constant harassment of the Armenian people will not be tolerated.” “We
want to thank Congressman Pallone for his longstanding leadership in
educating his colleagues about the important U.S.

interests served by our assistance program to Armenia, direct aid to
Nagorno Karabagh, and the other Armenia-related provisions in the
Foreign Operations bill – most recently and notably – the need for
maintaining parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan,”
said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

“We also want to express our appreciation to Congressman Knollenberg
for his work, within the Foreign Operations Subcommittee itself,
generating vital support for maintaining military parity and other key
provisions of special concern to the Armenian American community.” The
President’s proposal for Freedom Support Act aid is $50 million for
Armenia, $28 million for Azerbaijan, and $58 million for Georgia. His
Foreign Military Financing proposals are $3.5 million for Armenia,
$4.5 million for Azerbaijan, and $10 million for Georgia.

The White House’s recommendation to Congress for International
Military Education and Training is $790,000 for Armenia, $885,000
for Azerbaijan, and $1,235,000 for Georgia. The Foreign Operations
Subcommittees of the Senate and House Appropriation Committees
are currently reviewing the President’s proposed budget and are
each drafting their own versions of the FY 2007 foreign assistance
bill. The agreement to maintain parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia
and Azerbaijan was struck between the White House and Congress in
2001, in the wake of Congressional action granting the President the
authority to waive the Section 907 restrictions on aid to Azerbaijan.