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ANCA: Armenian Caucus Rallies Support for Armenian Aid Priorities

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  • ANCA: Armenian Caucus Rallies Support for Armenian Aid Priorities

    Armenian National Committee of America
    1711 N Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20036
    Tel. (202) 775-1918
    Fax. (202) 775-5648
    Email [email protected]
    Internet www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    March 11, 2008
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918


    ARMENIAN CAUCUS RALLIES SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN AID PRIORITIES

    -- Seeks Development of U.S.-Nagorno Karabagh Diplomatic Relations

    WASHINGTON, DC - Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Frank
    Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) are currently collecting
    signatures among their House colleagues on a letter urging the
    leaders of the U.S. State-Foreign Operations Appropriations
    Subcommittee to support provisions in the FY09 foreign aid bill
    that advance U.S. interests and American values in Armenia and the
    surrounding region, reported the Armenian National Committee of
    America (ANCA).

    The letter, addressed to Subcommittee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY)
    and Ranking Member Frank Wolf (R-VA), outlines six key policy
    priorities:

    1) Cutting all military aid to Azerbaijan due to its threats of
    renewed war
    2) Allocating $5 million in military aid to Armenia
    3) Continuing Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act
    4) Allocating $70 million in economic aid to Armenia
    5) Allocating $10 million in development aid to Nagorno Karabagh
    6) Restoring diplomatic relations with Nagorno Karabagh

    The budget proposed by the White House last month sought to
    dramatically slash aid to Armenia by 59%, and, once again, proposed
    tipping the military aid balance in favor of Azerbaijan, despite
    Baku's threats to use it growing military arsenal to restart its
    war against Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. Last week's renewed
    attacks by the Azerbaijani army in the area of Levonarkh in
    Mardakert, led to as many as eight deaths. The Nagorno Karabagh
    Foreign Ministry has asked that the "OSCE launch a comprehensive
    investigation of the incident, give an official political
    evaluation of the Azeri authorities' actions, as well as conduct an
    immediate crisis-monitoring in the incident zone, in order to
    prevent similar violations in future."

    Members of Congress, led by the Armenian Caucus, are seeking to
    reverse the proposed cut in aid to Armenia and to enact a
    constructive set of foreign policies toward Armenia and the region.

    Citizens seeking to reverse the President's proposed cut in aid to
    Armenia and support the other aid priorities in the Armenian Caucus
    letter, can send a free ANCA WebFax to their elected officials in
    Washington today:
    http://capwiz.com/anca/issues/alert/?alerti d=11011351&type=CO

    For a seven-page ANCA briefing memo on Armenian American foreign
    aid priorities, visit:
    http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/FY09_fo reignaid.pdf

    #####
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