House Appropriations Committee votes for parity in military assistance for Armenia and Azerbaijan

Yerkir
13.06.2007 17:41

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Today, the House Appropriations Committee passed
the Fiscal Year 2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill,
which included a number of provisions to assist and support Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh.

Mr Sean Oblack, press secretary for Representative Adam B. Schiff (D –
CA) has said that as a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on
State and Foreign Operations, Rep. Schiff requested strong funding for
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and pivotal language affecting the region,
much of which was incorporated into the measure. The bill funds the
U.S. international affairs budgets, including the U.S. Department of
State, foreign military support programs through the Department of
Defense, and most foreign aid.

The bill will now be sent to the floor for a vote before the full
House.

"Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are good friends and allies of the
U.S. and this bill represents the strength of our close relationship,"
Schiff said.

"I am pleased that they will get this needed assistance, which will
greatly benefit the people of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh."

The Fiscal Year 2008 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs
Appropriations bill:

* Provides $68 million in aid to the Republic of Armenia;

* Urges USAID to allocate up to $6 million to Nagorno Karabakh in
humanitarian assistance;

* Ensures assistance parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan is
maintained by providing Armenia with $3 million in Foreign Military
Financing funds and $300,000 in International Military Education and
Training assistance;

* Prevents further changes to the conditional waiver of Section 907 of
the FREEDOM Support Act, which restricts U.S. aid to Azerbaijan until
the President determines and reports to Congress that Azerbaijan is
taking steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force
against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh; and

* Provides a confidence-building measure to advance a peaceful
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.