President Bush signs Omnibus Aid Bill allocating $58.5 Million to
Armenia
armradio.am
28.12.2007 11:23
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
Karabakh, 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 Karabakh, 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
Karabakh.
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 Karabakh, 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 Karabakh, 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.