STATEMENT FROM THE EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN IN THE UNITED STATES

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June 16 2009

Comtex WASHINGTON, June 15, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ —-On
June 11, 2009, the Armenian National Committee of America’s (ANCA)
Executive Director Aram Hamparian’s sent a letter to the Foreign
Affairs Legislative Aid. The letter is false on facts and insulting
in substance.

It claims that the change in proposed FY10 economic aid to the
countries of the Caucasus compared to FY09 is +20 percent for
Azerbaijan, +19 percent for Georgia, and -38 percent for Armenia.

ANCA attempts to blame the U.S. Administration for double-standards
but, in fact, it pursues double-standards itself. ANCA compares
appropriated funds for FY09 with requested funds for FY10 in the case
of Armenia, while for Azerbaijan and Georgia only requested funds are
compared. The true figure for Armenia is +25 percent (FY09 request
was USD 24 million and FY10 is USD 30 million).

Moreover, since independence in 1991, Armenia has always been a
leading U.S. aid recipient, enjoying USD 1.7 billion in aid.

Distorting Azerbaijan’s and Georgia’s democratic credentials, while
shielding Armenia’s, is a continuation of these double-standards. Both
Azerbaijan and Georgia proved to be U.S. strategic partners and
neither one ever held an election which claimed the innocent lives
of peaceful opposition protesters.

ANCA would serve both Armenia’s and America’s interests by truthfully
informing the U.S. public, law-makers and officials.