Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
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PRESS RELEASE
October 5, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA URGES LEGISLATORS TO ADOPT KEY PRO-ARMENIA
TRADE MEASURE BEFORE CONGRESS ENDS SESSION
— Urges Adoption of Provision as Part of Larger Trade Measure
WASHINGTON, DC – With the 108th session of Congress coming to an
end, the Armenian National Committee of America is urging
legislators to include a pro-Armenia trade measure, spearheaded by
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI)
and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), in the final version of a
larger trade bill set to be approved before the end of this week.
The U.S. House, last November, approved Permanent Normal Trade
Relations Status (PNTR) for Armenia, opening the door to expanded
U.S.-Armenia commercial relations. The Senate version of this
legislation, known as the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical
Corrections Act of 2004 (H.R.1047), did not include the PNTR for
Armenia provision. As a result, the Congressional leadership has
assigned a “conference committee” to reconcile the two different
versions of this legislation. The conferees include Ways and Means
Committee Chairman, Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA); Trade Subcommittee
Chairman, Rep. Phil Crane (R-IL); Rep. E. Clay Shaw (R-FL); Ways
and Means Ranking Democrat, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY); Trade
Subcommittee Ranking Democrat, Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI); Senate
Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN); Finance Committee Chairman, Sen.
Charles Grassley (R-IA), and; Finance Committee Ranking Democrat,
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT).
The ANCA has asked Armenian Americans to call on their Senators and
Representative to urge the conferees to include PNTR for Armenia in
the final version of the bill approved by Congress. The ANCA
action alert can be found at:
The sample letter for activists includes several reasons to support
this legislation, among them:
* Increased U.S.-Armenia trade and investment advances U.S.
foreign policy by strengthening Armenia’s free market economic
development and integration into the world economy.
* Expanded U.S.-Armenia commercial relations will strengthen
bilateral relations and reinforces the enduring friendship between
the American and Armenian peoples.
* Adoption of PNTR for Armenia will help offset – at no cost to
U.S. taxpayers – the devastating impact of the dual Turkish and
Azerbaijani blockades, estimated by the World Bank as costing
Armenia up to a third of its entire GDP (as much as $720 million
annually) and half of its exports.
The Trade Act of 1974 excluded all Soviet countries from having
normal trade relations (NTR) status with the United States. One
particular provision of the Act, known as the Jackson-Vanik
amendment, required the President to deny NTR to those countries
that restricted free emigration. The policy was adopted, in part,
in response to Communist government restrictions on the emigration
of Jews. According to the terms of the Jackson-Vanik amendment,
when the President determines that freedom of emigration rights
have been reinstated in a country, normal trade relations may be
granted. To maintain NTR, the President must report to Congress
twice a year that Jackson-Vanik requirements have been met. While
successive Presidents have waived the Jackson-Vanik Amendment
restrictions on Armenia during the past decade, the passage of the
Knollenberg bill, would grant Armenia permanent normal trade
relations status, without the need for semi-yearly Presidential
determinations.