US AZERBAIJANIS NETWORK TO HOLD CAMPAIGN FOR ELIMINATION THE FISCAL YEAR 2011 FUNDING FOR NAGORNO-KARABAKH
APA, Azerbaijan
March 25 2010
Washington. Isabel Levine-APA. US Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. along
with 27 pro-Armenian members of Congress sent a letter to the chair
and ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the
Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs,
Azerbaijani Diaspora in US (USAN) told APA’s Washington DC
correspondent.
The congress members want to influence the State-foreign operations
and related programs appropriations bill for the Fiscal year of 2011.
They request that the subcommittee supports Congress’s funding request
for US assistance to Armenia. Their argument is that Armenia is a
very special partner of US and the bilateral relations will expand.
They also continue to push for parity in military assistance
between Armenia and Azerbaijan, opening contacts between the US and
Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as increasing funding for Nagorno-Karabakh
for humanitarian and developmental aid.
Funding in the Fiscal Year 2010 Omnibus bill provided US$41 million
for Armenia and US$8 million for Nagorno-Karabakh.
In order to prevent this, the US Azerbaijanis Network decided to hold
their own campaign, according to which every Azerbaijani American
and whoever else, who wishes to support them, writes a letter to
Congress members asking to eliminate the Fiscal Year 2011 funding for
Nagorno-Karabakh and reduce aid to Armenia. Azerbaijanis also demand
increasing the amount of the US funding for Azerbaijan.