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USAID supports full funding for Karabakh aid program
http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/04/26/usaid-supports-full-funding-for-karabakh-aid-program/
11:11 26.04.2013
Rajiv Shah, the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International
Development, in response to questions this week from Congressmen Adam
Schiff (D-CA) and Brad Sherman (D-CA), affirmed the Obama
Administration's commitment to fully fund Congressional assistance
allocations for Nagorno Karabakh and to support public-private
partnerships to generate sustainable economic growth in the
Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk) region of Georgia, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
During an April 24th hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee
on State-Foreign Operations, Congressman Schiff asked a series of
questions about U.S. aid programs for Nagorno Karabakh and Javakhk.
In response, Administrator Shah noted that, `in the past we haven't
expended all the funds,' adding that, `I know our Assistant
Administrator for the region is committed to doing that and we believe
will be successful of getting that done. With respect to the
public-private partnership with the Diaspora community, we are very
enthusiastic about that and think that also is a good model for how
we'd like to work in the future. The Armenian community has been a
very good community to work with. And so, we're eager to kind of get
that going.' The full exchange between Congressman Schiff and
Administrator Shah went as follows:
Congressman Adam Schiff: Two quick questions, one funding for Nagorno
Karabakh. The history of the last several years as Congress has
appropriated funding USAID hasn't used it at least not completely. We
hear at times there is a lack of capacity. But it seems given the
small amount that we are talking about, a leap of imagination to think
that with the humanitarian needs there it couldn't really be fully be
absorbed.
So I'd like to get your thoughts on that. And I'd like to work with
you to make sure we can utilize all the assistance that's been
provided to help meet the humanitarian needs there.
Second in the Javakhk region of Georgia is a very impoverished
Armenian community. We have raised with the Georgian government and
USAID an interest of trying to meet the needs of that population as
well as the country more broadly. And over the past year
Armenian-American groups have been working closely with USAID to
explore a public-private partnership that could leverage U.S.
assistance to Georgia and that region. If you could give us a progress
report on those efforts?
USAID Administrator Shah: Thank you. I will make sure my team
provides more details on both of these. But I will say with respect
with Nagorno Karabakh I believe we actually have a plan to fully
execute the program as we have it.
I know in the past we haven't expended all the funds. But I know our
assistant administrator for the region is committed to doing that and
we believe will be successful of getting that done.
With respect to the public-private partnership with the diaspora
community, we are very enthusiastic about that and think that also is
a good model for how we'd like to work in the future. The Armenian
community has been a very good community to work with. And so, we're
eager to kind of get that going.
I don't have an immediate update on where that is. But I know when we
put it together we were enthusiastic because it came - we had a lot of
private sector commitments to leverage our resources from the get go
which is relatively unique.
Congressman Adam Schiff: Thank you with that. I look forward to
working with you on both those issues.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/04/26/usaid-supports-full-funding-for-karabakh-aid-program/
11:11 26.04.2013
Rajiv Shah, the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International
Development, in response to questions this week from Congressmen Adam
Schiff (D-CA) and Brad Sherman (D-CA), affirmed the Obama
Administration's commitment to fully fund Congressional assistance
allocations for Nagorno Karabakh and to support public-private
partnerships to generate sustainable economic growth in the
Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk) region of Georgia, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
During an April 24th hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee
on State-Foreign Operations, Congressman Schiff asked a series of
questions about U.S. aid programs for Nagorno Karabakh and Javakhk.
In response, Administrator Shah noted that, `in the past we haven't
expended all the funds,' adding that, `I know our Assistant
Administrator for the region is committed to doing that and we believe
will be successful of getting that done. With respect to the
public-private partnership with the Diaspora community, we are very
enthusiastic about that and think that also is a good model for how
we'd like to work in the future. The Armenian community has been a
very good community to work with. And so, we're eager to kind of get
that going.' The full exchange between Congressman Schiff and
Administrator Shah went as follows:
Congressman Adam Schiff: Two quick questions, one funding for Nagorno
Karabakh. The history of the last several years as Congress has
appropriated funding USAID hasn't used it at least not completely. We
hear at times there is a lack of capacity. But it seems given the
small amount that we are talking about, a leap of imagination to think
that with the humanitarian needs there it couldn't really be fully be
absorbed.
So I'd like to get your thoughts on that. And I'd like to work with
you to make sure we can utilize all the assistance that's been
provided to help meet the humanitarian needs there.
Second in the Javakhk region of Georgia is a very impoverished
Armenian community. We have raised with the Georgian government and
USAID an interest of trying to meet the needs of that population as
well as the country more broadly. And over the past year
Armenian-American groups have been working closely with USAID to
explore a public-private partnership that could leverage U.S.
assistance to Georgia and that region. If you could give us a progress
report on those efforts?
USAID Administrator Shah: Thank you. I will make sure my team
provides more details on both of these. But I will say with respect
with Nagorno Karabakh I believe we actually have a plan to fully
execute the program as we have it.
I know in the past we haven't expended all the funds. But I know our
assistant administrator for the region is committed to doing that and
we believe will be successful of getting that done.
With respect to the public-private partnership with the diaspora
community, we are very enthusiastic about that and think that also is
a good model for how we'd like to work in the future. The Armenian
community has been a very good community to work with. And so, we're
eager to kind of get that going.
I don't have an immediate update on where that is. But I know when we
put it together we were enthusiastic because it came - we had a lot of
private sector commitments to leverage our resources from the get go
which is relatively unique.
Congressman Adam Schiff: Thank you with that. I look forward to
working with you on both those issues.