Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email.anca@anca.org
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
December 27, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

UPDATE: PRES. BUSH SIGNS OMNIBUS AID BILL ALLOCATING
$58.5 MILLION TO ARMENIA;MAINTAINING MILITARY AID PARITY WITH
AZERBAIJAN

WASHINGTON, DC – President Bush signed the fiscal year (FY) 2008
overall appropriations package this week, known as the omnibus
bill, which included $58.5 million in economic assistance for
Armenia and maintained Armenia and Azerbaijan military aid parity,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA.)

The Armenia economic aid figures are $17.5 million less than the FY
2007 figures but represent a clear increase over the
Administration’s request of $35 million. Congress also approved $3
million in foreign military financing (FMF) assistance to Armenia
and Azerbaijan, reversing the Administration’s latest bid to
retreat from its 2001 pledge to maintain parity in military aid to
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"We are troubled by the reductions in aid to Armenia and Nagorno
Karabagh, particularly in light on the ongoing economic costs of
the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades, as well as Baku’s
increasingly violent rhetoric about restarting its war against the
Armenians," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We thank
all of our friends in the Congressional appropriations process who,
working against significant competing budgetary pressures – were
able to deliver figures higher than the President’s request, and
also to maintain military aid parity."

In addition to the Armenia allocation, the omnibus aid bill also
includes $50.5 million for Georgia and $19 million for Azerbaijan.
Millennium Challenge Account funding is set for $1.5 billion, half
of President Bush’s request.

The final compromise aid legislation does not stipulate a specific
amount of aid to Karabagh, urging the State Department to be guided
instead by the individual Senate and House recommendations adopted
earlier this year, one of which did allocate $6 million in aid to
Karabagh.

On June 12th, the House Appropriations Committee adopted its
version of the FY08 foreign aid bill, allocating $68 million for
Armenia, $6 million in direct assistance to Nagorno Karabagh, and
maintaining parity in the levels of U.S. military aid to Armenia
and Azerbaijan.

The Senate version, adopted by the Appropriations Committee on June
28th, called for only $39 million in aid to Armenia, $4 million
above the President’s request, but considerably less than the
previous year’s appropriation. Although the Senate called for
direct assistance to Nagorno Karabagh, it did not set a specific
dollar amount. In addition, the Senate did not address the issue
of military aid parity.

Other specific measures of interest in the omnibus bill include a
recommendation for funding of an Armenian Youth Federation (AYF)
exchange program with Armenia; Monmouth University sponsored
professional exchanges with Armenia, as well as activities of the
University of California, affiliated with the American University
of Armenia. Appropriations Committee member, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-
CA) announced last week, his efforts in support of an allocation of
$47,000 for an after-school tutoring program sponsored by the
Glendale "Ararat" Chapter of Homenetmen.

In the days leading up to the omnibus bill vote, thousands of
Armenian Americans communicated with their legislators on this
issue via an ANCA Congressional Call In Campaign:

In testimony submitted to the Foreign Operations Subcomittee on
March 29th, ANCA Government Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian
touched upon a number of key issues, including: 1) Restoring parity
in all military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan; 2) Increasing
economic assistance to Armenia to at least $75 million; 3)
Expanding U.S. assistance to Nagorno Karabagh to at least $10
million in both humanitarian and development aid, and; 4)
Preserving Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. The full text
of the ANCA’s testimony is available at:
pdf

In February of this year, in letters to leading appropriators in
the House and Senate, the ANCA outlined the Armenian American
community’s foreign aid priorities. For the full text of these
letters, visit:
leases.php?prid=1079

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress