ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA PROTESTS THE ADMINISTRATION’S RENEWED CALL FOR MILITARY AID DISPARITY BETWEEN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Feb 6 2007

February 5, 2007 the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) called the
Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 budget request fundamentally
flawed with respect to funding levels for Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh. It also protested the Administration’s renewed call for
military aid disparity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which only
serves to undermine stability in the South Caucasus.

According to the information DE FACTO got at the AAA, Bryan Ardouny,
Executive Director of the Armenian Assembly, stated, "The request for
asymmetrical military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan not only
runs counter to what Congress has appropriated in previous years,
but also sends the wrong message to Armenia, an important U.S. ally".

Ardouny further stated the Armenian Assembly would seek to reverse the
proposal and ensure parity. In its FY 2008 Budget, the Administration
proposed boosting Azerbaijan’s military financing over Armenia’s by
$2 million. In previous years, through the combined efforts of the
Armenian-American community and the Assembly, Congress ultimately
ensured security aid parity.

The Administration’s 2008 funding proposal for Foreign Military
Financing (FMF) calls for $4.3 million for Azerbaijan and only $3
million for Armenia. The proposed budget also suggests $1 million
for Azerbaijan versus $300,000 for Armenia in International Military
Education and Training (IMET) assistance.

The FY 2008 budget also recommended $35 million for Armenia in Freedom
Support Act (FSA) funding to "help implement economic and democratic
reform and fight corruption. FSA assistance will complement major
MCC resources for agricultural development."

"The House of Representatives last week approved FY 07 funding for
Armenia at the 06 level – nearly $75 million. This budget request
therefore represents more than a 50 percent reduction in assistance.

This is simply unacceptable," said Ardouny. "Further, despite
ongoing funding by Congress, the Administration fails to recommend
any assistance to Nagorno Karabakh. We will work with Congress to
correct the glaring deficiencies in the Administration’s request,"
Ardouny continued.

The announcement is the first step in a lengthy process. The next step
is for the House and Senate to review the Administration’s request
through committee hearings, the first of which will take place later
this week, when the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testifies
before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress