Armenian National Committee of America
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Washington, DC 20036
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA WELCOMES COMMITTEE ADOPTION OF CROWLEY AMENDMENT
TO BLOCK U.S. SUBSIDY FOR ARMENIA RAILROAD BYPASS
— House Financial Services Committee
Approves Measure by Unanimous Voice Vote
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
today welcomed the vote by a powerful Congressional panel to block
U.S. taxpayer funding for an unnecessary and costly proposed
railroad between Turkey and Georgia that would, if built,
circumvent Armenia and, in the process, undermine the economic
viability of the existing Caucasus railroad route through Armenia.
With a unanimous voice vote earlier today, the House Financial
Services Committee adopted the amendment offered by panel member
Joe Crowley (D-NY). The measure prohibits the Export-Import Bank
from providing any assistance "to develop or promote any rail
connections or railway-related connections that traverse or connect
Baku, Azerbaijan; Tbilisi, Georgia; and Kars, Turkey, and that
specifically exclude cities in Armenia."
Rep. Crowley serves as the Chief Deputy Minority Whip. His
amendment to the Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2006 was
co-authored by Reps. Ed Royce (R-CA) and Brad Sherman (D-CA).
"We thank Congressman Crowley, his colleagues Ed Royce and Brad
Sherman, and all the members of the Financial Services Committee
for protecting American taxpayers from subsidizing an ill-advised
and over-priced railroad project that – at the insistence of Turkey
and Azerbaijan – has been proposed solely to exclude Armenia," said
Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.
"With this amendment, we are sending a message to the governments
of Turkey and Azerbaijan that continually excluding Armenia in
regional projects fosters instability," said Congressman Crowley.
"Bypassing Armenia is just another attempt to further suffocate
this republic, which has made great strides in democratic and
economic reforms notwithstanding its neighbors’ hostility. If the
Caucasus region is to move forward, we must ensure that all
countries move forward together at the same time."
He added that, "The American taxpayer should not be required to
finance a project that goes against the interests of the US
government in the South Caucasus. I thank my colleagues for
recognizing the importance of this legislation."
A proposed new Caucasus rail line – at the urging of Turkey and
Azerbaijan – would circumvent Armenia. Promoters of the project
have sought, even at the planning stages, to secure U.S. financing
for this undertaking, prompting Congressional friends of Armenia to
preemptively block such attempts.
The Crowley Amendment is similar to the South Caucasus Integration
and Open Railroads Act of 2006. This measure was introduced in
both the House (H.R.3361), by Representative Joe Knollenberg (R-
MI), and in the Senate (S 2461) by Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA).
The House version has 85 cosponsors; the Senate version has been
cosponsored by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Paul Sarbanes (D-
MD). Both measures stress that U.S. policy should oppose the "The
exclusion of Armenia from regional economic and commercial
undertakings in the South Caucasus," noting that such actions
"undermine the United States policy goal of promoting a stable and
cooperative environment in the region."
Thousands of activists throughout the United States have sent ANCA
WebFaxes to members of Congress in support of this legislation.
lerts.php?aaid=93
In October of last year, the European Commission voiced official
opposition to the proposed Caucasus railroad bypass of Armenia. A
formal statement by the Commission’s Directorate General for
Transport and Energy noted that its construction was both
unnecessary and inefficient in light of the existing railroad
connecting Kars, Gyumri, and Tbilisi.
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is the
official export credit agency of the United States. Ex-Im Bank’s
mission is to assist in financing the export of U.S. goods and
services to international markets.
Below are several of the key talking points used by the ANCA in
support of the Crowley Amendment.
#####
Talking Points:
The Crowley Amendment:
Protecting U.S. Taxpayers, Promoting U.S. Interests
1) The proposed railway would hinder economic integration,
undermine stability in the region, and – at the expense of the U.S.
taxpayer – help Azerbaijan and Turkey institutionalize their
illegal blockades of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.
2) Turkey and Azerbaijan have instituted an illegal blockade
against land-locked Armenia for over a decade and are now
escalating their economic aggression by initiating new projects
specifically bypassing Armenia.
3) Refusing to use an existing railway that connects Turkey,
Georgia, and Azerbaijan because it traverses Armenia, Turkey and
Azerbaijan are spearheading a nearly $1 billion project to build an
entirely new railway that deliberately excludes Armenia.
4) U.S. tax dollars should not be spent on such a wasteful and
destabilizing venture.
5) In the interest of promoting regional integration, conflict
resolution, and open borders, the U.S. should not provide any
assistance to develop or promote rail connections that deliberately
exclude Armenia.
6) Despite continued calls from the U.S. and international
community to end its aggression, Turkey continues its devastating,
illegal blockade of land-locked Armenia now in its 12th year.
7) The dual blockade by both Turkey and Azerbaijan prevents
Armenia’s economy from flourishing and hinders the development of
an important East-West trade corridor.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
