HOUSE PANEL MAINTAINS AID LEVEL TO ARMENIA
armradio.am
18.06.2009 11:01
The House Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for U.S. foreign aid
policy voted to maintain U.S. economic assistance to Armenia at last
year’s level of $48 million and to increase humanitarian assistance to
Nagorno Karabakh to an unprecedented annual allocation of $10 million,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The Subcommittee voted to maintain military assistance parity to
Armenia and Azerbaijan, keeping foreign military financing to both
countries at $3 million. The panel chose not to accept President
Obama’s proposals, included in the FY10 budget that he released
earlier this year, to reduce economic aid to Armenia by 38%, from $48
million $30 million, and to tilt the military aid balance in favor
of Azerbaijan.
The Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,
which is chaired by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), also strengthened
language governing the President’s authority to waive Section 907
of the Freedom Support Act, a provision of law that restricts aid to
Azerbaijan due to its blockades and other offensive actions against
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. The new language, according those close
to the work of the subcommittee, will require closer Congressional
consultation prior to any future waivers of this law.
"We value Chairwoman Lowey’s leadership and the efforts of Rep. Adam
Schiff, Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Mark Kirk, Representatives Steve
Rothman, Jesse Jackson Jr, Betty McCollum, Barbara Lee, Steve Israel,
and our many friends on the Subcommittee for constructively working to
address our community’s foreign aid priorities," said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian. "We are gratified that the panel restored
military aid parity, met the Armenian Caucus request of $10 million
for Nagorno Karabagh, and strengthened the waiver language for Section
907. We will, in the coming days, seek to build on this progress by
working with our friends on the Senate side to bring the economic
aid figure to Armenia up to the $70 million level requested by the
Armenian Caucus."