For Immediate Release
February 7, 2007
U.S.-Armenia Public Affairs Committee (USAPAC)
1518 K Street, NW, Suite M
Washington, DC 20005
Contact: Ross Vartian
Telephone: 202-783-0530
Administration’s Untenable Budget Request for Armenia and
Azerbaijan
Washington DC – USAPAC announced its opposition to the massive cut in
economic assistance to the Republic of Armenia and the asymmetrical
military aid request in favor of Azerbaijan over Armenia as recently
proposed in the Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 budget request.
"Given Armenia’s successful performance in market reforms and
democratization and the significant role that U.S. bilateral assistance
has played in making these advances possible, our organization believes
that Congress will reject the Administration’s call for a near fifty
percent reduction over the previously allocated amount to Armenia,"
said Executive Director Ross Vartian. "Moreover, it is unfortunate
that the Administration appears to justify this cut by counting the
MCA grant against Armenia."
"Despite numerous rejections by Congress on previous attempts and
the military parity agreement for Armenia and Azerbaijan made by the
Administration as part of the waiver for Section 907 of the Freedom
Support Act, it has again requested an unequal amount of military
assistance for both countries," stated Vartian.
The FY 08 budget contains $4.3 million for Azerbaijan and only
$3 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) for Armenia while
simultaneously calling for $1 million for Azerbaijan compared to
$300,000 for Armenia in International Military Education and Training
(IMET) assistance.
"Once again the Administration has also requested nothing for Nagorno
Karabakh. Were it not for Congress mandating such assistance since
1998, Karabakh would be the only area of the South Caucasus precluded
from U.S. aid. "Congress will once again correct the Administration’s
exclusion of Nagorno Karabakh," predicted Vartian.
Even more troubling is the fact that this military aid and the
allocation provided for the Caspian Sea Initiative program can also
be used against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Azerbaijan’s President
repeatedly boasts that his country’s military expenditures will soon
exceed the total annual budget of Armenia and continues to warn that
he will launch another war should Azerbaijan’s demands not be met in
the Karabakh negotiating process.
"Under these circumstances, it is irresponsible for the U.S. to
propose asymmetrical FMF and IMET funding and also to continue the
Caspian program," said Vartian. "This in effect enables Azerbaijan’s
destabilizing militarization. Our nation’s assistance to Azerbaijan
would be much better spent on battling corruption and promoting
economic reform and democracy considering that nation’s rankings in the
annual studies performed by the Heritage Foundation and Transparency
International."
"USAPAC will work closely with Congress to increase Armenia’s bilateral
allocation and reinstate military assistance parity," added Vartian.
Azerbaijan was ranked 107th out of 157 countries in the Heritage
Foundation/Wall Street Journal’s 2007 Index of Economic Freedom.
Similarly, Azerbaijan was rated
130th out of 163 nations in the 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index
conducted by Transparency International.
As has been previously reported by Bertelsmann Transformation Index and
a myriad of other news sources and publications, democratic transition
in Azerbaijan has progressed only marginally. Previous elections,
including the presidential elections of 1993, 1998 and 2003; and
parliamentary elections in 1995 and 2000, were rated by Western
observers as thoroughly undemocratic, have only reinforced existing
conditions.
Various committees have begun holding hearings in the House of
Representatives and Senate to review the Administration’s FY 08 budget
request. The Foreign Operations Subcommittee on Appropriations will
commence drafting the Foreign Operations spending measures later
this year.
The U.S.-Armenia Public Affairs Committee is a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt and
not-for-profit organization established to advance Armenian-American
interests.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress