Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Aug 4, 2006

Bush bill offers to cut aid to ex-Soviet states

AssA-Irada 04/08/2006 23:29

US President George Bush has sent a bill to the Congress proposing to
reduce assistance to former Soviet republics.

The move of the White House, reflected in the 2007 draft budget of
the State Department, is to affect all of these countries except
Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, which have lately experienced a soft change
of power referred to as ‘velvet revolution’. The figures are $1.9m
and $7.3m over 2006 respectively.

The aid to Armenia is expected to decrease from $75m to $50m, while
Russia and Georgia will get $58m each. Azerbaijan will receive $28m,
while Tajikistan – $22m, Kazakhstan $19m, Moldova $16m, Uzbekistan
$15m, Belarus $10m, and Turkmenistan $5m.

The total aid package is to be reduced from $508.8m this year to
$441m in 2007, according to the Bush administration’s proposal.

The US assistance to FSU states aims to support democracy, market
economy and the development of civil society and its institutions.