US POLICY IN REGION AIMED AT ACTIVATION AND COOPERATION, NOT AT ISOLATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
26.12.2006 16:54 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ US policy in South Caucasus is aimed at promoting
regional cooperation and normalization of relations instead of
isolation, says a statement by US congressmen, co-chairs of the
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Frank Pallone and Joe
Knollenberg, addressed to the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA).
Earlier, the US president approved a bill banning state
financing of the construction of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku
railroad. Earlier, the bill was passed by the House of Representatives,
and then by the Senate. "We call upon Turkey to revise the policy of
alienating Armenia, put an end to the 13-year-old blockade and take
actions directed at cooperation with its neighbors," the statement
says.
The document contains an amendment proposed by Senators Robert Menendez
and Rick Santorini, which rules out financing by the Export-Import Bank
of the construction of the railway that would isolate Armenia from the
economic and regional transport corridor with average estimated cost
of $400 mln. Adoption of the amendment is part of the AAA lobbying
directed against isolation of Armenia. In his turn, AAA Executive
Director Bryan Ardouny highly appreciated the role of the senators
and congressmen in "implementing this important initiative," namely
in fighting Turkey and Azerbaijan’s attempts to isolate Armenia. The
initiative is one of numerous measures to secure safety and wealth
of Armenia. He expressed gratitude to organizations and persons,
who combined their effort with the Armenian Diaspora of the United
States. The Armenian Assembly of America welcomed inaction of the
bill banning financing of the railroad joining Turkey, Azerbaijan
and Georgia bypassing Armenia.