Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: info@aaainc.org
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2007
CONTACT: Karoon Panosyan
E-mail: kpanosyan@aaainc.org
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVES MILITARY PARITY FOR ARMENIA
AND AZERBAIJAN
Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly of America commended the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related
Programs for maintaining military aid parity between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, as well as other key provisions.
The Subcommittee approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 State, Foreign
Operations Appropriations Bill yesterday, signaling to Administration
officials the necessity to maintain the careful balance between the
neighboring countries. The Administration, in its budget request to
Congress, called for $5.3 million in military aid for Azerbaijan versus
only $3.3 million for Armenia. The Subcommittee action would allocate
$3.3 million in military assistance to both countries, specifically $3
million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $300,000 in
International Military Education and Training (IMET).
"We commend Subcommittee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) and Ranking
Member Frank R. Wolf (R-VA) and the members of the Subcommittee for
maintaining military parity, which was envisioned as part of the
conditional waiver of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act," said
Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "Azerbaijan’s unabated war
rhetoric, despite U.S. demands to cease such provocative actions remains
troubling," Ardouny continued. "We also strongly encourage Congress to
continue to vigorously monitor this critical issue to ensure that the
principle of military and security parity is maintained throughout all
funding areas. Azerbaijan has rejected numerous proposals by Armenia for
confidence-building measures, and instead has dramatically increased its
military spending. Further, should Azerbaijan not cease its
anti-Armenian rhetoric, we urge Congress to suspend the waiver authority
it granted and reinstate Section 907."
The panel also approved $68 million in assistance to Armenia, which is
almost twice the Administration’s proposed level of $35 million, but
less than the nearly $75 million Congress approved in FY 2007. The
Subcommittee also approved $6 million in humanitarian assistance for
Nagorno Karabakh. In March of this year, Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank
Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) along with 30 of his colleagues [letter attached],
sent a letter to Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Wolf urging $10
million for assistance to Nagorno Karabakh, including development
assistance, and not less than $75 million to Armenia in the FY 2008
Bill. The Armenian Assembly reinforced this request in its testimony
before the Subcommittee [see attached Assembly testimony], and was one
of 16 organizations invited to testify before the panel.
The bill also provides continued funding for the Millennium Challenge
Account program (MCA), which is aimed to bolster democracy, human rights
and market economies of developing countries. The panel provided $1.8
billion, while the Administration sought $3 billion. Armenia, based on
its record of performance in key indicators, is a recipient of MCA with
a five-year $235.65 million compact to reduce rural poverty and increase
agricultural productivity.
"We applaud the efforts of the Armenian Caucus, led by Congressmen Frank
Pallone, Jr. and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) to ensure appropriate funding
levels for Armenia as well as Karabakh, including a shift to development
assistance," said Ardouny. "As the Bill works its way through the
legislative process, we will continue to work to bring Armenia’s funding
up to last year’s level." Noting the international praise Armenia
received for the conduct of its recent parliamentary elections, Ardouny
also urged the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to expeditiously
implement the compact, which will impact the lives of thousands of
Armenians.
The full Committee is expected to consider the bill next week, with
action by the entire House of Representatives expected before the July
congressional recess.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
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NR#2007-068
Editor’s Note: Attached is the full text of Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny’s written testimony, which was submitted to the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related
Programs on March 29, 2007. Also attached is the congressional letter
initiated by Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and sent to Subcommittee
Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Ranking Member Frank R. Wolf (R-VA) on
March 16, 2007.