Armenian Assembly of America
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Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2004
CONTACT: David Zenian
Email: [email protected]
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY WELCOMES POSITIVE COMPONENTS OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S FY’06 BUDGET:
CALLS FOR UPWARD ADJUSTMENT OF AID TO ARMENIA
Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly today welcomed the positive
components of the Bush Administration’s Armenia-related foreign aid
allocations of the just-released FY 2006 budget, and especially the
parity it established in security aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan and
the reference to humanitarian assistance to Nagorno Karabakh.
The Assembly said that by establishing the principle of parity
in military funding — $5 million each to Armenia and Azerbaijan
in Foreign Military Financing and $750,000 each for International
Military Education and Training — and it’s first-ever reference to
Nagorno Karabakh in a proposed budget, the Bush Administration was in
effect sending a positive message to the region designed to enhance
its role as a key partner in the peace process.
FY 2006, while not setting a dollar amount, has asked — for the
first time in specific language — for funds to “support humanitarian
assistance to Nagorno Karabakh.”
“The Armenian Assembly welcomes the Bush Administration’s financial
allocations to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, and more so because it
has placed both Armenia and Azerbaijan on the same footing in as far
as military assistance is concerned and named Nagorno Karabakh as
a separate recipient of humanitarian assistance,” Assembly Board of
Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian said.
“We are particularly pleased to note that by establishing and
maintaining military parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the
Administration has taken an effective step in maintaining its
credibility as an impartial and leading mediator in the Karabakh
peace process,” Barsamian said.
While underlining the overall positive aspects of the Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh-related budget allocations, the Assembly said one
area fell short of expectations. FY 2006, following a trend already
in progress, asked for $55 million in economic assistance to Armenia –
down from last fiscal year’s request of $62 million.
“We note this ongoing decline with disappointment, but we are
determined to advocate to Congress for increased funding just as we did
and succeeded in the previous budget cycles. The damaging and illegal
Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades have not ended,” Barsamian said.
After critical, year-long efforts from the Assembly’s friends on
the Hill, “not less than” $75 million in economic aid to Armenia was
approved within the framework of the FY 2005 Omnibus Spending Bill.
Details of the Bush Administration’s FY 2006 Budget described Armenia
as “one of the leading performers in Eurasia in economic and political
reform,” and said it was for this reason that “Armenia was one of
the two countries in the region deemed eligible to receive grants
from the Millennium Challenge Account.” But the Administration also
noted that “despite the gains produced by economic reforms, poverty
remains widespread” and said “the key now is effective implementation
of reform measures, particularly fighting corruption.”
The Administration’s characterizing of reforms in Armenia effectively
supported the earlier findings of the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street
Journal 2004 Index of Economic Freedom which last year placed Armenia
well ahead of its neighbors in terms of its business climate and the
Millennium Challenge Corporation’s recognition of Armenia as a country
whose past and present performance clearly meets its criteria of
“governing justly, investing in their people and promoting economic
freedom.”
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress