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OBAMA PROPOSES RECORD REDUCTION IN AID TO ARMENIA
11:35, 11 April, 2013
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, ARMENPRESS: The Obama-Biden Administration
budget released today includes a 38% cut in Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14)
economic aid to Armenia, a proposal that, if approved by Congress,
would reduce U.S. assistance to Armenia to its lowest level since
the 1988 earthquake, reports Armenpress referring to the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
The President's proposal of $24,719,000 in Economic Support Funds for
Armenia was dramatically less than last year's actual economic aid
allocation of $40 million, and less than half the $50 million in FY14
aid requested earlier this year in an Armenian Caucus letter and ANCA
Congressional testimony. The White House's proposal did, however,
maintain parity in terms of appropriated military aid to Armenia
and Azerbaijan, with International Military Education and Training
(IMET) assistance set at $600,000 and Foreign Military Financing
(FMF) set at $2,700,000.
Combining all the FY14 appropriated assistance to Armenia that the
President is proposing, including economic, military, law enforcement,
and health, his current request represents a 14% reduction of his
last request of Congress, as part of his FY13 budget.
"President Obama, who came into office pledging to maintain aid to
Armenia and increase bilateral trade and investment, has consistently
cut Armenian assistance programs, while failing to take any meaningful
steps to promote the growth of economic relations through investment
treaties, tax accords, trade missions, or other commonly utilized
policies and practices," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
The Administration's budget does not include any figures for aid to
Nagorno Karabakh, although, over the past several years USAID has
allocated $2,000,000 annually for this purpose. This level of Nagorno
Karabakh funding is considerably less than the intent expressed by
Congress over the course of many years - including the minimum level
of $5 million approved in the House Appropriations Committee's version
of the FY13 foreign aid bill.
11:35, 11 April, 2013
YEREVAN, APRIL 10, ARMENPRESS: The Obama-Biden Administration
budget released today includes a 38% cut in Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14)
economic aid to Armenia, a proposal that, if approved by Congress,
would reduce U.S. assistance to Armenia to its lowest level since
the 1988 earthquake, reports Armenpress referring to the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
The President's proposal of $24,719,000 in Economic Support Funds for
Armenia was dramatically less than last year's actual economic aid
allocation of $40 million, and less than half the $50 million in FY14
aid requested earlier this year in an Armenian Caucus letter and ANCA
Congressional testimony. The White House's proposal did, however,
maintain parity in terms of appropriated military aid to Armenia
and Azerbaijan, with International Military Education and Training
(IMET) assistance set at $600,000 and Foreign Military Financing
(FMF) set at $2,700,000.
Combining all the FY14 appropriated assistance to Armenia that the
President is proposing, including economic, military, law enforcement,
and health, his current request represents a 14% reduction of his
last request of Congress, as part of his FY13 budget.
"President Obama, who came into office pledging to maintain aid to
Armenia and increase bilateral trade and investment, has consistently
cut Armenian assistance programs, while failing to take any meaningful
steps to promote the growth of economic relations through investment
treaties, tax accords, trade missions, or other commonly utilized
policies and practices," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
The Administration's budget does not include any figures for aid to
Nagorno Karabakh, although, over the past several years USAID has
allocated $2,000,000 annually for this purpose. This level of Nagorno
Karabakh funding is considerably less than the intent expressed by
Congress over the course of many years - including the minimum level
of $5 million approved in the House Appropriations Committee's version
of the FY13 foreign aid bill.