US SENATE COMMITTEE CALLS FOR CONTINUED AID TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH
news.am
May 26, 2012 | 11:27
The Senate Appropriations Committee, in its version of the Fiscal Year
2013 foreign aid bill, called for continued aid to Nagorno-Karabakh,
but failed to include specific dollar figures for aid to Armenia,
effectively signaling support for President Obama's proposal to cut
economic aid to Armenia by nineteen percent, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America.
Despite overall reductions in foreign aid spending, Senate
Appropriators included language supporting continued assistance to
Nagorno-Karabakh, noting that: "The Committee recommends assistance
for victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in amounts consistent
with prior years, and for ongoing needs related to the conflict. The
Committee urges a peaceful resolution of the conflict." This represents
progress over last year's Senate Committee report, which limited aid
to only to "humanitarian assistance," and did not specify that the
amount should be consistent with prior years, Asbarezreports
Similar to last year, the Senate was silent on military aid parity
for Armenia and Azerbaijan, which represents tacit support for the
President's budget request that equal amounts of Foreign Military
Financing ($2,700,000) and International Military Education and
Training ($600,000) be provided to both Yerevan and Baku.
Earlier this month, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee proposed
sharply increasing aid to Nagorno-Karabakh from $2 to $5 million and
rejected the Obama Administration's proposed $7.2 million cut in aid
to Armenia, by calling for $40 million in economic aid to Armenia.
The House panel also maintained military aid parity between Armenia
and Azerbaijan, and called upon the Administration to formulate a
strategy for targeted aid to the Armenian-populated Javakhk region
of Georgia. In addition, the panel called on the Secretary of State
to continue support for Armenians and other Christian populations at
risk due to recent unrest in the Middle East.
news.am
May 26, 2012 | 11:27
The Senate Appropriations Committee, in its version of the Fiscal Year
2013 foreign aid bill, called for continued aid to Nagorno-Karabakh,
but failed to include specific dollar figures for aid to Armenia,
effectively signaling support for President Obama's proposal to cut
economic aid to Armenia by nineteen percent, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America.
Despite overall reductions in foreign aid spending, Senate
Appropriators included language supporting continued assistance to
Nagorno-Karabakh, noting that: "The Committee recommends assistance
for victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in amounts consistent
with prior years, and for ongoing needs related to the conflict. The
Committee urges a peaceful resolution of the conflict." This represents
progress over last year's Senate Committee report, which limited aid
to only to "humanitarian assistance," and did not specify that the
amount should be consistent with prior years, Asbarezreports
Similar to last year, the Senate was silent on military aid parity
for Armenia and Azerbaijan, which represents tacit support for the
President's budget request that equal amounts of Foreign Military
Financing ($2,700,000) and International Military Education and
Training ($600,000) be provided to both Yerevan and Baku.
Earlier this month, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee proposed
sharply increasing aid to Nagorno-Karabakh from $2 to $5 million and
rejected the Obama Administration's proposed $7.2 million cut in aid
to Armenia, by calling for $40 million in economic aid to Armenia.
The House panel also maintained military aid parity between Armenia
and Azerbaijan, and called upon the Administration to formulate a
strategy for targeted aid to the Armenian-populated Javakhk region
of Georgia. In addition, the panel called on the Secretary of State
to continue support for Armenians and other Christian populations at
risk due to recent unrest in the Middle East.