AAA WELCOMES SENATE LEGISLATION OPPOSING RAILROAD THAT BYPASSES ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 29 2006

WASHINGTON, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Senators Rick
Santorum (R-PA) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced on March 28 a
major bill (S. 2461) in the U.S. Senate that would bar assistance for
a proposed $800 million railway that would connect Azerbaijan, Georgia
and Turkey while bypassing Armenia. The legislation, known as the South
Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act, was introduced shortly
after participants of the Armenian Assembly of America’s National
Conference met with senior staff representing Senators Santorum
and Menendez – both longtime supporters of Armenian issues. The
three-day National Conference was co-hosted by the AGBU and Eastern
and Western Dioceses of the Armenian Church. “United States policy in
the South Caucasus seeks to foster regional stability and enhanced
cooperation, and includes open borders and transport corridors,”
Santorum told the Assembly. “The proposed rail link would not only
undermine U.S. long-term goals for the region, but serves to isolate
Armenia. Efforts to foster economic integration and reduce the risk
of further tensions are in the best interests of the United States
and the South Caucasus.” Menendez, echoing Santorum, added that
“the sole aim of this costly project is to further isolate Armenia
by enhancing the ongoing Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades. I look
forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and members of
the Armenian-American community to block U.S. financial support of
this rail project.” “We commend the leadership of Senators Santorum
and Menendez for this Senate initiative to prohibit funding for
this ill-conceived route, which not only thwarts U.S. policy goals,
but is also a continuation of Azerbaijan’s blockade plus strategy
to marginalize Armenia, which we cannot allow,” said Assembly
Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian. “The realization
of this legislation is a testament to the grassroots activism
exemplified throughout this National Conference.” Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev told an Azeri news agency last summer that,
“We are currently working on a new project – a new rail road
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku..If we succeed with this project,
the Armenians will end in complete isolation, which would create
an additional problem for their future, their already bleak
future…” Armenian government officials have repeatedly said that
a new costly railway is unnecessary given that a railroad linking
Armenia, Georgia and Turkey already exists. The existing Kars-Gyumri
route is in working condition and could be operational within
weeks. Senator Santorum has consistently supported Armenian issues. He
is a strong proponent of U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide
and a cosponsor of S. Res. 320, the Armenian Genocide resolution. In
2000, he also urged the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign
Operations to direct economic aid to Armenia, to provide the timely
delivery of humanitarian assistance to Nagorno Karabakh and maintain
Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. Santorum currently serves on
the powerful Senate Finance Committee and is Chairman of the Senate
Republican Conference where he directs the communications operations
of the Senate Republicans and is the third-ranking member of the
leadership. His colleague, Senator Menendez, is a longstanding advocate
of the Armenian-American community and a widely respected voice on
foreign policy. During his tenure in the House of Representatives,
Menendez helped secure robust U.S. humanitarian, technical and
developmental assistance for Armenia, while continuing to push for
sustained humanitarian aid to Nagorno Karabakh. Menendez has
also repeatedly fought for U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian
Genocide, by publicly commemorating this crime against humanity,
co-sponsoring legislation that would properly recognize the events
and urging President Bush, as well as his predecessors, to accurately
characterize the crimes as genocide. The Senate bill is modeled after
House Resolution 3361, which was introduced by Congressional Caucus
on Armenian Issues Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), along with Caucus
Co-Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA),
last year. The resolution currently has 77 cosponsors to date, and
is expected to garner additional supporters.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress