OBAMA SEEKS 38% CUT IN AID TO ARMENIA

armradio.am
08.05.2009 10:43

Despite a 9% increase in overall foreign aid spending, President Barack
Obama called for a 38% cut in aid to Armenia, a 20% increase in aid to
Azerbaijan, and the abandonment of the longstanding Armenia-Azerbaijan
military aid parity agreement in favor of Baku, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).

"President Obama, despite his promise to maintain U.S. assistance to
Armenia and his campaign commitment to help foster Armenia’s growth
and development, has called for a thirty-eight percent cut in aid to
Armenia," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "His
proposal to sharply reduce vitally needed assistance to Armenia,
even as he is increasing overall foreign aid spending, is all the
more disappointing in light of the urgent economic challenges facing
Armenia."

President Obama’s budget calls for $30 million in U.S. aid to Armenia,
down 38% from the FY09 allocation of $48 million. Under his proposal,
funding for Azerbaijan would increase 20% from $18.5 million to $22.12
million. The complete international affairs budget proposed by the
White House is $53,872,901.

In Foreign Military Finance spending, President Obama has requested
$4 million for Azerbaijan and only $3 million for Armenia, while funds
for International Military Education and Training (IMET) represent an
even starker break in the parity agreement struck between Congress and
the White House in 2001, with $900,000 being proposed for Azerbaijan
and $450,000 for Armenia.

The Foreign Operations Subcommittees of the House and Senate
Appropriation Committees will now review the President’s budget and
each draft their own versions of the FY 2010 foreign assistance