U.S. CONFIRMS AID PACKAGE TO ARMENIA AND MILITARY AID TO AZERBAIJAN
Natalia Leshchenko
World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
July 18, 2008
The U.S. parliament’s House Foreign Operations Subcommittee overturned
the proposal by the U.S. administration to cut aid to Armenia from
$58U million to $24US million and voted to allocate the country
some $52US million for 2009. It also approved a special package for
aid to Nagorno-Karabakh. The only measure pro-Armenian lobby was
not able to push through is to reduce the amount of military aid to
Azerbaijan. The U.S. lawmakers distributed $3US million each to both
of the warring parties. The decision will now go for approval to the
full House Appropriations Committee and then to Congress, while the
Senate should finish parallel hearings shortly.
Significance: Armenia has been one of the key recipients
of U.S. assistance due to the strong national lobby in the
country. U.S. aid to Armenia has accumulated to around $2US billion,
averaging nearly $100US million annually in 1990s. The volumes of help
have decreased as Armenia embarked upon economic growth and the United
States reduced the amount of foreign aid it distributes. U.S. moral
support is no less important for Armenians than the financial aid,
although the country manages to balance U.S. and Russia orientation
much more effectively than Georgia which has staked its reputation
on becoming an outpost of the West in the Caucasus, causing much
problems and aggravation with Russia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
