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SEN. REED SECURES SAFEGUARDS AGAINST AZERBAIJAN'S USE OF U.S.-FINANCED SATELLITE FOR WARFARE
Armenian Weekly
Mon, May 9 2011
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Jack Reed (R-R.I.), a senior member of the
Armed Services Committee, has secured a series of written assurances
and ongoing reporting requirements regarding a controversial loan
recently extended by the U.S. Export-Import Bank to Azerbaijan for
the purchase of an advanced satellite, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).
Sen. Reed The bipartisan Congressional inquiries into this deal,
since it was first placed on the Ex-Im agenda earlier this year,
were made possible by Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), whose
detailed scrutiny into this transaction created the opportunity for
both his House and Senate colleagues to follow up with a broad range
of questions and concerns.
In addition to Senator Reed, Senator Mark Kirk (D-Ill.), a leading
voice in Congress on military issues, played an especially constructive
role in addressing the potential regional security implications of
this satellite financing deal.
In a detailed, two-page letter, the Bank's Chairman and President,
Fred P. Hochberg, explained to Senator Reed that, "[T]hough Ex-Im
Bank has established that the satellite lacks a military capacity,
the Bank has implemented additional measures to ensure that the
satellite is not utilized for any military related purpose."
-"The Ex-Im bank loan documentation will include a provision
prohibiting the Government of Azerbaijan from entering any agreement
allowing for the use of the satellite by any of the armed forces of
Azerbaijan, or the armed forces of any other country."
-"Ex-Im Bank will also have the right to inspect all books and records
related to the project at any time during the life of the loan."
-"Lastly, the Government of Azerbaijan will be contractually required
to furnish monitoring reports to Ex-Im Bank on an annual basis. The
monitoring reports will identify all parties that have contracted to
lease transponder capacity and will include certifications by the
Government of Azerbaijan that the satellite has not been leased,
nor has the Government of Azerbaijan entered into any agreements,
with any of the armed forces of Azerbaijan, or the armed forces of
any other country to permit utilization of the satellite."
"We want to thank Senator Reed, Congressman Sherman, and the other
legislators who worked with the Export-Import Bank in seeking to
address deeply held concerns, raised by Armenian Americans and others
devoted to peace in the Caucasus, regarding any U.S. action that might
empower or embolden Azerbaijan to renew its aggression against Nagorno
Karabakh and Armenia," said ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian.
"While we remain opposed to this deal and to any other potentially
harmful assistance to the increasingly belligerent Azerbiajani
government of Ilham Aliyev, we do value the Bank's sensitivities
to its regional security implications, and appreciate the efforts
of legislators to build meaningful safeguards, prohibitions, and
reporting requirements into this transaction."
On April 27th, the U.S. Export-Import Bank voted to approve the
controversial deal to finance Azerbaijan's purchase of an advanced
satellite just weeks after Azerbaijan threatened to shoot down a
civilian airliner. The decision came despite serious Congressional
reservations and strong opposition by the Armenian American community
to U.S. actions that will strengthen Azerbaijan's military capabilities
at a time of increasing threats and acts of aggression by Baku against
both Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Over the past three months, the ANCA has conveyed the Armenian American
community's serious legal, technical and political opposition to this
transaction in a series of letters and meetings with senior officials
of the Export-Import Bank and the State Department. The firm selling
this satellite, known as Azerspace/Africasat-1A, is Orbital Sciences
Corporation of Dulles, Virginia. It is being purchased by the Ministry
of Communications and Information Technologies of Azerbaijan in Baku,
Azerbaijan. The application for Ex-Im financing was made by BNP-Parabis
of New York City, and the loan is being guaranteed by Azerbaijan's
Ministry of Finance.
From: A. Papazian
Armenian Weekly
Mon, May 9 2011
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Jack Reed (R-R.I.), a senior member of the
Armed Services Committee, has secured a series of written assurances
and ongoing reporting requirements regarding a controversial loan
recently extended by the U.S. Export-Import Bank to Azerbaijan for
the purchase of an advanced satellite, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).
Sen. Reed The bipartisan Congressional inquiries into this deal,
since it was first placed on the Ex-Im agenda earlier this year,
were made possible by Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), whose
detailed scrutiny into this transaction created the opportunity for
both his House and Senate colleagues to follow up with a broad range
of questions and concerns.
In addition to Senator Reed, Senator Mark Kirk (D-Ill.), a leading
voice in Congress on military issues, played an especially constructive
role in addressing the potential regional security implications of
this satellite financing deal.
In a detailed, two-page letter, the Bank's Chairman and President,
Fred P. Hochberg, explained to Senator Reed that, "[T]hough Ex-Im
Bank has established that the satellite lacks a military capacity,
the Bank has implemented additional measures to ensure that the
satellite is not utilized for any military related purpose."
-"The Ex-Im bank loan documentation will include a provision
prohibiting the Government of Azerbaijan from entering any agreement
allowing for the use of the satellite by any of the armed forces of
Azerbaijan, or the armed forces of any other country."
-"Ex-Im Bank will also have the right to inspect all books and records
related to the project at any time during the life of the loan."
-"Lastly, the Government of Azerbaijan will be contractually required
to furnish monitoring reports to Ex-Im Bank on an annual basis. The
monitoring reports will identify all parties that have contracted to
lease transponder capacity and will include certifications by the
Government of Azerbaijan that the satellite has not been leased,
nor has the Government of Azerbaijan entered into any agreements,
with any of the armed forces of Azerbaijan, or the armed forces of
any other country to permit utilization of the satellite."
"We want to thank Senator Reed, Congressman Sherman, and the other
legislators who worked with the Export-Import Bank in seeking to
address deeply held concerns, raised by Armenian Americans and others
devoted to peace in the Caucasus, regarding any U.S. action that might
empower or embolden Azerbaijan to renew its aggression against Nagorno
Karabakh and Armenia," said ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian.
"While we remain opposed to this deal and to any other potentially
harmful assistance to the increasingly belligerent Azerbiajani
government of Ilham Aliyev, we do value the Bank's sensitivities
to its regional security implications, and appreciate the efforts
of legislators to build meaningful safeguards, prohibitions, and
reporting requirements into this transaction."
On April 27th, the U.S. Export-Import Bank voted to approve the
controversial deal to finance Azerbaijan's purchase of an advanced
satellite just weeks after Azerbaijan threatened to shoot down a
civilian airliner. The decision came despite serious Congressional
reservations and strong opposition by the Armenian American community
to U.S. actions that will strengthen Azerbaijan's military capabilities
at a time of increasing threats and acts of aggression by Baku against
both Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Over the past three months, the ANCA has conveyed the Armenian American
community's serious legal, technical and political opposition to this
transaction in a series of letters and meetings with senior officials
of the Export-Import Bank and the State Department. The firm selling
this satellite, known as Azerspace/Africasat-1A, is Orbital Sciences
Corporation of Dulles, Virginia. It is being purchased by the Ministry
of Communications and Information Technologies of Azerbaijan in Baku,
Azerbaijan. The application for Ex-Im financing was made by BNP-Parabis
of New York City, and the loan is being guaranteed by Azerbaijan's
Ministry of Finance.
From: A. Papazian