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SHERMAN PRESSES USAID TO TARGET US ASSISTANCE TO JAVAKHK
asbarez
Monday, March 26th, 2012
Rep. Brand Sherman
USAID Director Rajiv Shah highlights agency's efforts to launch
public-private partnerships with Armenian American community in
support of Javakhk
WASHINGTON- Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) emphasized the importance
of expanding U.S. assistance to the Republic of Georgia's
Armenian-populated region of Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk) during
a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing with US Agency for
International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah on the Agency's
Fiscal Year 2013 budget, reported the Armenian National Committee
of America.
In his question to USAID Director Shah, Rep. Sherman outlined the
difficult economic conditions facing many of the regions in the
Republic of Georgia, and his efforts, in conjunction with the Armenian
American community, to focus targeted assistance to the population
in Javakhk.
USAID Director Shah noted that "On Georgia, and specifically the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region, that you were referring to, we have
been working with specific programs that deal with agricultural
modernization, social development, maternal health and certain health
and infrastructure efforts as well as support for civil society
groups. We have increasingly tried to do that work in consultation
with Armenian American communities and with an eye toward launching
specific public-private partnerships with those communities."
In September of 2011, ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian and Communications
Director Elizabeth Chouldjian travelled to Javakhk and Tbilisi,
Georgia, and held a series of meetings with local non-government
organization leaders as well as high-level meetings with Georgian
government officials, to identify ways to address the concerns of
the Armenian population in the Javakhk.
That dialogue continued in Washington, DC, in January of this year,
when Hachikian met with Georgian Ambassador to the U.S. Temuri
Yakobashvili to explore ways to expand the Georgian-Armenian
partnership to include broader direct Georgian and Armenian investments
and also increased U.S. assistance to promote job-creation in the
region. Following the meeting, Ambassador Yakobashvili had noted
that "The Embassy of Georgia - in support of our government's
material commitment to economic development for our citizens in
the Samtskhe-Javakheti region and throughout all of our Republic -
looks forward to working with our friends in the U.S. Congress
and the Administration and with all American civil society
stakeholders - including, of course, with the Armenian American
community - in encouraging the targeting of U.S. assistance to meet
Samtskhe-Javakheti's urgent job-creation, infrastructure, technical,
and humanitarian needs."
The ANCA has worked closely with Rep. Sherman, Rep. Adam Schiff
(D-CA) and other House members as well as USAID representatives to
raise awareness about the challenges facing the population of Javakhk
and identify avenues for the U.S. government to partner with the
Armenian Diaspora.
Last week, Rep. Sherman was among over 30 House members who cosigned
a Congressional letter spearheaded by Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and addressed to House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX)
and Ranking Democrat Nita Lowey (D-NY) urging 10% of U.S. assistance
to Georgia in FY2013 to be targeted toward job creation efforts
in Javakhk.
asbarez
Monday, March 26th, 2012
Rep. Brand Sherman
USAID Director Rajiv Shah highlights agency's efforts to launch
public-private partnerships with Armenian American community in
support of Javakhk
WASHINGTON- Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) emphasized the importance
of expanding U.S. assistance to the Republic of Georgia's
Armenian-populated region of Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk) during
a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing with US Agency for
International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah on the Agency's
Fiscal Year 2013 budget, reported the Armenian National Committee
of America.
In his question to USAID Director Shah, Rep. Sherman outlined the
difficult economic conditions facing many of the regions in the
Republic of Georgia, and his efforts, in conjunction with the Armenian
American community, to focus targeted assistance to the population
in Javakhk.
USAID Director Shah noted that "On Georgia, and specifically the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region, that you were referring to, we have
been working with specific programs that deal with agricultural
modernization, social development, maternal health and certain health
and infrastructure efforts as well as support for civil society
groups. We have increasingly tried to do that work in consultation
with Armenian American communities and with an eye toward launching
specific public-private partnerships with those communities."
In September of 2011, ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian and Communications
Director Elizabeth Chouldjian travelled to Javakhk and Tbilisi,
Georgia, and held a series of meetings with local non-government
organization leaders as well as high-level meetings with Georgian
government officials, to identify ways to address the concerns of
the Armenian population in the Javakhk.
That dialogue continued in Washington, DC, in January of this year,
when Hachikian met with Georgian Ambassador to the U.S. Temuri
Yakobashvili to explore ways to expand the Georgian-Armenian
partnership to include broader direct Georgian and Armenian investments
and also increased U.S. assistance to promote job-creation in the
region. Following the meeting, Ambassador Yakobashvili had noted
that "The Embassy of Georgia - in support of our government's
material commitment to economic development for our citizens in
the Samtskhe-Javakheti region and throughout all of our Republic -
looks forward to working with our friends in the U.S. Congress
and the Administration and with all American civil society
stakeholders - including, of course, with the Armenian American
community - in encouraging the targeting of U.S. assistance to meet
Samtskhe-Javakheti's urgent job-creation, infrastructure, technical,
and humanitarian needs."
The ANCA has worked closely with Rep. Sherman, Rep. Adam Schiff
(D-CA) and other House members as well as USAID representatives to
raise awareness about the challenges facing the population of Javakhk
and identify avenues for the U.S. government to partner with the
Armenian Diaspora.
Last week, Rep. Sherman was among over 30 House members who cosigned
a Congressional letter spearheaded by Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and addressed to House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX)
and Ranking Democrat Nita Lowey (D-NY) urging 10% of U.S. assistance
to Georgia in FY2013 to be targeted toward job creation efforts
in Javakhk.