HOUSE PANEL MAINTAINS AID LEVEL FOR ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
17.06.2009 21:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The House Appropriations Subcommittee responsible
for U.S. foreign aid policy, this morning, voted to maintain
U.S. economic assistance to Armenia at last year’s level of $48
million and to increase humanitarian assistance to Nagorno Karabakh
to an unprecedented annual allocation of $10 million, reported the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The Subcommittee voted to maintain military assistance parity to
Armenia and Azerbaijan, keeping foreign military financing to both
countries at $3 million. The panel chose not to accept President
Obama’s proposals, included in the FY10 budget that he released
earlier this year, to reduce economic aid to Armenia by 38%, from $48
million $30 million, and to tilt the military aid balance in favor
of Azerbaijan.

The Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,
which is chaired by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), also strengthened
language governing the President’s authority to waive Section 907
of the Freedom Support Act, a provision of law that restricts aid to
Azerbaijan due to its blockades and other offensive actions against
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. The new language, according those close
to the work of the subcommittee, will require closer Congressional
consultation prior to any future waivers of this law.

"We value Chairwoman Lowey’s leadership and the efforts of Rep. Adam
Schiff, Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Mark Kirk, Representatives Steve
Rothman, Jesse Jackson Jr, Betty McCollum, Barbara Lee, Steve Israel,
and our many friends on the Subcommittee for constructively working to
address our community’s foreign aid priorities," said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian. "We are gratified that the panel restored
military aid parity, met the Armenian Caucus request of $10 million
for Nagorno Karabakh, and strengthened the waiver language for Section
907. We will, in the coming days, seek to build on this progress by
working with our friends on the Senate side to bring the economic
aid figure to Armenia up to the $70 million level requested by the
Armenian Caucus."

In an April 3, 2009 letter sent to the panel earlier this year,
members of the Armenian Caucus, co-chaired by Representatives Frank
Pallone and Mark Kirk, called for strengthening Section 907, allocating
$70 million in economic aid to Armenia, $5million in assistance to
Armenia’s military, $10 million in development aid to Nagorno Karabakh,
and the removal of official barriers to U.S.-Nagorno Karabakh contacts
and communications.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress