US ADIMINISTRATION PROPOSES TO REDUCE BY HALF ARMENIA’S FINANCING NEXT YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Feb 06 2007
WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The US
Administration’s Fiscal Year 2008 budget proposes providing 35 million
dollar financing to Armenia, which is by 49% less than the current
fiscal year’s allocation of 69 million dollars. Besides, as Armenian
organizations of the US indicate, the draft budget also envisages for
the first time financing for Nagorno Karabakh. Finally, the draft
calls for more military financing to Azerbaijan than to Armenia,
which, according to the Armenian National Committee of America,
will upset the military aid parity of the two countries which was
envisaged by the agreement signed by the Administration and Congress
more than five years ago. The Administration’s funding proposal for
Foreign Military Financing calls for 3 mln USD for Armenia (which
is less by 960 thgousand USD than in the current year) and for 4.3
mln USD for Azerbaijan. The proposed budget also suggests 1 million
USD for Azerbaijan (823 thousand USD in the current year) and 300
thousand USD (538 thousand USD in the current year) for Armenia in
International Military Training and Edication assistance. The 2008
Fiscal Year starts in October 2007. Prior to that, the draft has to
undergo several discussion and approval stages.