US CONGRESS TO REDUCE ASSISTANCE FOR ARMENIA

Democratic Azerbaijan. demaz.org
June 12 2007

Subcommittee on state and foreign assignments of the House of
Representatives of US Congress recommended to allot 34,243 bn. US
dollars for respective programs in fiscal year 2008. Chairman of
subcommittee underlined that the means should be spent in 4 main
directions: foreign aide, foreign development programs, support USA’s
allies within global anti-terrorist fight and AIDS and other dangerous
epidemic prevention.

Congress members decided to allot 4,7 bn. US dollars for increase
of security of diplomatic corps of USA for fiscal year 2008, 365
mln. US dollars for efforts of the Department of State in the field
of public diplomacy, and 501 mln. dollars for international programs
and cultural exchange.

3,3 millions of dollars out of 2,656 bn. allotted for allies
within the global fight against terrorism will fall to the share
of Azerbaijan. Members of subcommittee allotted to Armenia the same
amount of money. We should remind here that President, George Bush,
proposed to allot 5,3 mln. US dollars for Azerbaijan for foreign
military aid and for international military education, within the
draft budget, and 3,3 US dollars for Armenia for the same purpose.

However, members of work group on Armenian issues functioning in the
Congress achieved equalization of these figures. Despite this they
failed to bring total sum allotted for Armenian to 75 mln. US dollars
of last year. In 2008 fiscal year Armenia will get 68 mln. dollars.

Moreover, Congress members allotted for Nagorni Garabagh 6 mln.

dollars. Despite insisting demands of pro-Armenian congressmen,
these means won’t be spent for development programs but only for
humanitarian ones. Final version of draft budget will be known after
consideration at Senate’s committee on assignments.