Armenian National Committee of America
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
SENATE APPROPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE ADOPTS $75 MILLION
FOR ARMENIA; $3 MILLION FOR NAGORNO KARABAGH
— U.S. House Finalizes Approval of its
Version of the Foreign Aid Bill
WASHINGTON, DC ~V The Senate and House continued consideration of
the Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 foreign aid bill this week, with the
Senate Appropriations Committee today adopting appropriations of
$75 million for Armenia and $3 million for Nagorno Karabagh,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). The
House adopted their version of the foreign aid bill on Tuesday.
“We want to thank Senator McConnell for his leadership in securing
a $75 million earmark for his Armenia, and to thank all our friends
on the Foreign Operations Subcommittee for their work on each of
the provisions in this bill that will contribute to the further
strengthening U.S.-Armenia ties,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive
Director of the ANCA. “We look forward to supporting Senators
McConnell and Leahy as well as Representatives Kolbe, Knollenberg,
Lowey, Rothman and all the other conferees who will, in the coming
weeks, engage in the important work of reconciling the Senate and
House versions of this legislation.”
Senate Appropriations Committee assistance levels for Armenia
represent a $20 million increase over President Bush’s budget
request earlier this year, and $7.5 million more than the House
measure adopted earlier this week. The Senate panel also approved
over $6.4 million in military and security aid to Armenia,
including $5 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF), $750,000
in International Military Education and Training (IMET), and
$700,000 in Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, De-mining and Related
(NADR) assistance.
The House and Senate versions of the foreign aid bill differ in
their overall support levels for U.S. assistance to the former
Soviet States. The Senate Appropriations Committee adopted an
overall figure of $565 million for the region, approximately $88
million more than their House Colleagues. As part of that
allocation, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $70.5
million for Georgia and $38 million for Azerbaijan. The Senate
Committee report called on the “State Department and USAID to
more emphatically and publicly support political process
programming in Russia and Azerbaijan. Freedom is ill served by
excessive hand wringing over concerns with projecting political
balance in programming or of offending authoritarian host
governments.”
The House allocation of up to $5 million for Nagorno Karabagh is $2
million more than the amount set by the Senate panel. The
Committee report accompanying the House measure, noted that, “in
furtherance of a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabagh
conflict, and in support of the measures discussed at NATO and OSCE
summits, the Committee strongly supports confidence-building
measures among the parties to the conflict. Such measures include
strengthening compliance with the cease-fire, studying post-
conflict regional development such as landmine removal, water
management, transportation routes and infrastructure, establishing
a youth exchange program and other collaborative and humanitarian
initiatives to foster greater understanding among the parties and
reduce hostilities.”
In a new development this year in the House bill, foreign military
assistance to Turkey was reduced sharply from $29.6 million in FY
2005 to just $4.4 million for FY 2006. While the Committee report
was careful to state that the reduction “is not a reflection of a
lessening of the Committee’s appreciation for Turkey’s support,” it
did note that “sufficient justification” was not provided for the
funds.
In a related matter, the House will take up a $975 million veterans
healthcare measure this evening, the funding for which comes from a
$1.1 billion rescission in foreign aid to Turkey that was part of
the FY 2005 Iraq supplemental assistance package.
“It is particularly fitting that $1 billion in U.S. assistance,
originally slated for Turkey, should now go to help fund better
healthcare for our veterans here at home,” noted Hamparian. “By
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld’s own account, Turkey’s refusal, in
early 2003, to create a northern front in Operation Iraqi Freedom
contributed to the strength of the ongoing insurgency. These much-
needed funds to our nation’s Veterans Hospitals can play a crucial
role in helping our veterans – including those who were made more
vulnerable as a result of Turkey’s actions.”
————————————————————
Representatives Knollenberg, Pallone, and Rothman Hail House
Passage of the House Foreign Aid Bill
————————————————————
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and
Frank Pallone (D-NJ) were joined this week by Rep. Steve Rothman
(D-NJ) in welcoming the House passage of the foreign aid measure.
Reps. Knollenberg and Rothman are both outspoken leaders in support
of U.S. assistance to Armenia in the House Foreign Operations
Subcommittee. “The U.S needs to provide persistent and vigorous
assistance to help minimize the negative impacts of the damaging
blockades on Armenia’s borders,” explained Rep. Knollenberg. “Our
assistance has so far produced important positive reforms in
Armenia’s economy and government. With the funds approved in the
Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, Armenia can continue on the
path towards economic stability.”
Rep. Rothman noted that, “most Americans believe that America
spends 10%-15% of its budget on foreign aid. That simply is not
the case, we only spend about 1% of our budget on foreign aid – and
that 1% is very well spent. By giving Armenia this aid package, we
are providing the financial support that will help this nation
establish a more fiscally sound economy, while also ensuring its
security.”
Rep. Pallone stressed that, “by allocating equal levels of military
and security assistance to both nations (Armenia and Azerbaijan),
the U.S. government will preserve its credibility as an impartial
and leading mediator in the continuing sensitive peace negotiations
for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Given the ongoing Azerbaijani
blockades and threats to renew military aggression against Armenia
and Karabakh, it is critically important that the Administration
continue to promote balanced short- and long-term policies that
elevate regional cooperation and reduce the risk of conflict in the
South Caucasus region.”
In response to an initiative spearheaded by Congressman Pallone,
the House version of the bill included $500,000 for the creation of
an Armenian Institute at Monmouth University. In advancing this
measure through the appropriations process, Congressman Pallone
stressed the value of providing opportunities to Armenian graduate
students to further their education in the United States by
studying at Monmouth University. The Institute will include a
fast-tracked Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Program for
10 students from Armenia.
Commenting on the adoption of this measure, Rep. Pallone said, “New
Jersey is home to a very large Armenian-American population, and
I’m confident Monmouth University’s Armenian Institute will foster
greater appreciation of a culture steep in tradition and history.
Armenia continues to suffer from economic hardships and it is
important to educate future economic leaders who are pro-west and
can help the situation there.”
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress