Baku, Azerbaijan, March 1

By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) sent a letter to the US Senate, asking for $70 million worth financial support to Armenia and the occupational regime in Nagorno Karabakh in 2019, Armenian media reported on March 1.

According to the letter, $6 million out of the total sum will be spent on mine clearing in Nagorno Karabakh, $4 million on peace promotion, $30 million on economic support and $10 million on military assistance to Armenia, $20 million on solution of Middle East refugees’ problems.

The ANCA also asked the USA to stop financial assistance to Azerbaijan.

The letter looks absurd not only because of the astronomic sum requested, but also due to the goals listed. It is hard to understand, what problems of Middle East refugees and in what form the ANCA is going to solve, but the appeal seems to be a mere attempt to coax out money for crumbling Armenian economy out of the US.

In 2017, Donald Trump’s administration decided to cut back financial aid to foreign countries.

Financing of Armenia for 2018 was decreased by 77.3 percent from $22.41 million down to $4 million, Azerbaijan and Belarus – by 100 percent down to no financing at all, and Georgia – by 41.1 percent down to $28 million.

With that said, neither Azerbaijan, nor Belarus thought about sending a humiliating letter to the US Senate asking for money, because they seem to be sure of their state economies and feel no need in foreign tips.

Even though the Armenian government continuously praises the state economy, existing only thanks to the foreign loans and contributions of Armenian diaspora, in reality it is in a debtor’s prison and can be helped only by begging for many-million gratuitous help.