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OBAMA REQUESTS $40 MILLION IN AID TO ARMENIA
armradio.am
02.02.2010 11:48
President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2011 (FY11) budget, calls for
$40 million in assistance to Armenia -- $10 million more than his
FY10 request, but still $1 million less than the total appropriated
by Congress last year, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).
The figure, while representing a substantial increase over the
President's last request, falls just short of the $41 million actually
appropriated last year by Congress, and far short of the $70 million
request that was made last year by the Armenian Caucus and broadly
supported by Armenian American advocacy organizations.
The President's budget proposes maintaining Foreign Military Financing
(FMF) assistance parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, requesting
$3.5 million for each country. In past years, the White House has
sought to tilt the military aid balance in support of Baku, only to
have its efforts rejected by Congress, which has consistently ensured
balanced FMF figures for the two nations. The Administration did
not extend the parity principle to International Military Training,
Education, and Training (IMET), instead seeking to provide twice as
much for Azerbaijan ($900,000) than Armenia ($450,000) in this area.
The President requested $22.12 million in assistance to Azerbaijan,
$120,000 more than appropriated by Congress last year. The President's
overall assistance request for Europe and Eurasia is $599,164,000,
which represents a reduction of $11,818,000 from the previous year.
"We welcome the decision by the Obama Administration to ask for
$10 million more in economic aid to Armenia this year than he did
last year, and also his proposal to maintain parity in a key area
of military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan," said Aram Hamparian,
Executive Director of the ANCA. "We want to offer our special thanks
to Representatives Frank Pallone, Adam Schiff, Anna Eshoo, and Jackie
Speier - and, of course, Nita Lowey - for their energetic efforts
in sharing with the Administration how increased aid and support
for Armenia advances both U.S. interests and American values in a
strategically important area of the world. We look forward, as well, to
working with all our Congressional friends in building on these numbers
and securing the adoption of increased aid levels and constructive
policy provisions that will contribute to the strengthening of the
U.S.-Armenia relationship and the search for a fair and lasting peace
in the region."
The proposed assistance to Armenia is a significant improvement over
the FY10 request, which called for a 38% cut in aid to Armenia,
a 20% increase in aid to Azerbaijan, and the abandonment of the
longstanding Armenia-Azerbaijan military aid parity agreement in favor
of Baku. The ANCA led the Armenian American community in expressing
its concerns to the Administration last year, and working with the
Congressional Armenian Caucus and members of the Senate and House
Foreign Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign operations to increase
the figures.
The Foreign Operations Subcommittees of the House and Senate
Appropriation Committees will now review the President's budget and
each draft their own versions of the FY11 foreign assistance.
armradio.am
02.02.2010 11:48
President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2011 (FY11) budget, calls for
$40 million in assistance to Armenia -- $10 million more than his
FY10 request, but still $1 million less than the total appropriated
by Congress last year, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).
The figure, while representing a substantial increase over the
President's last request, falls just short of the $41 million actually
appropriated last year by Congress, and far short of the $70 million
request that was made last year by the Armenian Caucus and broadly
supported by Armenian American advocacy organizations.
The President's budget proposes maintaining Foreign Military Financing
(FMF) assistance parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, requesting
$3.5 million for each country. In past years, the White House has
sought to tilt the military aid balance in support of Baku, only to
have its efforts rejected by Congress, which has consistently ensured
balanced FMF figures for the two nations. The Administration did
not extend the parity principle to International Military Training,
Education, and Training (IMET), instead seeking to provide twice as
much for Azerbaijan ($900,000) than Armenia ($450,000) in this area.
The President requested $22.12 million in assistance to Azerbaijan,
$120,000 more than appropriated by Congress last year. The President's
overall assistance request for Europe and Eurasia is $599,164,000,
which represents a reduction of $11,818,000 from the previous year.
"We welcome the decision by the Obama Administration to ask for
$10 million more in economic aid to Armenia this year than he did
last year, and also his proposal to maintain parity in a key area
of military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan," said Aram Hamparian,
Executive Director of the ANCA. "We want to offer our special thanks
to Representatives Frank Pallone, Adam Schiff, Anna Eshoo, and Jackie
Speier - and, of course, Nita Lowey - for their energetic efforts
in sharing with the Administration how increased aid and support
for Armenia advances both U.S. interests and American values in a
strategically important area of the world. We look forward, as well, to
working with all our Congressional friends in building on these numbers
and securing the adoption of increased aid levels and constructive
policy provisions that will contribute to the strengthening of the
U.S.-Armenia relationship and the search for a fair and lasting peace
in the region."
The proposed assistance to Armenia is a significant improvement over
the FY10 request, which called for a 38% cut in aid to Armenia,
a 20% increase in aid to Azerbaijan, and the abandonment of the
longstanding Armenia-Azerbaijan military aid parity agreement in favor
of Baku. The ANCA led the Armenian American community in expressing
its concerns to the Administration last year, and working with the
Congressional Armenian Caucus and members of the Senate and House
Foreign Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign operations to increase
the figures.
The Foreign Operations Subcommittees of the House and Senate
Appropriation Committees will now review the President's budget and
each draft their own versions of the FY11 foreign assistance.