ANCA WELCOMES ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT TO BLOCK US SUBSIDY FOR ARMENIA RAILROAD BYPASS

ArmRadio.am
15.06.2006 11:03

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) welcomed the
vote by a powerful Congressional panel to block US taxpayer funding
for an unnecessary and costly proposed railroad between Turkey and
Georgia that would, if built, circumvent Armenia and, in the process,
undermine the economic viability of the existing Caucasus railroad
route through Armenia.

With a unanimous voice vote earlier today, the House Financial
Services Committee adopted the amendment offered by panel member Joe
Crowley. The measure prohibits the Export-Import Bank from providing
any assistance "to develop or promote any rail

connections or railway-related connections that traverse or connect
Baku, Azerbaijan; Tbilisi, Georgia; and Kars, Turkey, and that
specifically exclude cities in Armenia."

"We thank Congressman Crowley, his colleagues Ed Royce and Brad
Sherman, and all the members of the Financial Services Committee for
protecting American taxpayers from subsidizing an ill-advised and
over-priced railroad project that – at the insistence of Turkey and
Azerbaijan – has been proposed solely to exclude Armenia," said Aram
Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.