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ANCA TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESS
http://asbarez.com/108815/anca-testifies-before-congress/
Friday, March 15th, 2013
ANCA's Raffi Karakashian testifies in Congress
Karakashian Calls for Increased Aid to Artsakh, Armenia, and Javakhk
"The Karabakh issue, at its core, is about freedom. The very American
idea that we all deserve to live in liberty, free from foreign rule,
under a democratic government of our own choosing."
- ANCA Legislative Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian
WASHINGTON-Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Legislative
Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian testified today before a key
Congressional panel in support of increased U.S. assistance to Nagorno
Karabakh, Armenia, and the Javakhk region of Georgia.
In his opening remarks, Karakashian shared with House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX),
Ranking Democrat Nita Lowey (D-NY), and their colleagues news
of the recent Capitol Hill celebration of Nagorno Karabakh's
freedom movement. He thanked the U.S. Congress for its vital role
in sustaining Artsakh with direct aid, supporting its right to
self-determination, and standing up to Azerbaijani acts and threats
of aggression. Karakashian stressed that: "The Karabakh issue, at
its core, is about freedom. It is the very American idea that we all
deserve to live in liberty, free from foreign rule, under a democratic
government of our own choosing."
During his remarks before the U.S. House panel responsible for foreign
aid, Karakashian explained that the support of Congress for a series
of seven funding and policy-related provisions will represent a
strategic investment in strengthening U.S. diplomacy, advancing our
national interests, and promoting core American values in the Caucasus
region. These provisions include:
1. At least $5 million in development assistance for Nagorno Karabakh
2. 10 percent of U.S. assistance to the Republic of Georgia to be
targeted to Samtskhe-Javakheti
3. At least $50 million in economic support funds for Armenia
4. Equitable distribution of U.S. humanitarian assistance to all
needy populations in Syria
5. Strengthening of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and ending
military aid to Azerbaijan
6. Removal of barriers to U.S.-Nagorno Karabakh contacts,
7. Support for the reinstatement of Nagorno Karabakh in the Minsk
Group peace process
Others testifying before the influential House foreign aid panel were
leaders of prominent organizations involved in international affairs,
including Howard Kohr of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC), Admiral James Loy of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition,
and Diane Randall, of the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
The full text of the ANCA's written testimony is provided below. WATCH
video from the testimony.
Testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State,
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs March 13, 2013
The Armenian American community requests:
1. At least $5 million in development assistance for Nagorno Karabakh
2. 10% of U.S. assistance to the Republic of Georgia to be targeted
to Samtskhe-Javakheti
3. At least $50 million in economic support funds for Armenia
4. Equitable distribution of U.S. humanitarian assistance to Syria
5. Strengthening of Sec. 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and ending
military aid to Azerbaijan
6. Removal of barriers to U.S.-Nagorno Karabakh contacts, and
7. Support the reinstatement of Nagorno Karabakh in the Minsk Group
peace process
1. At least $5 million in development assistance for Nagorno Karabakh:
We want to thank the Subcommittee for stipulating in its FY13 bill
that "at least $5,000,000 for humanitarian and development programs
in Nagorno-Karabakh" be allocated. We were encouraged by this clear
directive to USAID and urge the Subcommittee to do the same again
this year. According to Nagorno Karabakh Republic estimates, the
war caused over $5 billion in damages. Nearly twenty years since
the cease-fire established in 1994, Karabakh is still suffering
from significant infrastructure damage, including the shortage of
safe drinking water. Since declaring independence in 1991, Karabakh
has built a solid democracy and a free market economy, has respected
human rights, and has held five parliamentary and five presidential
elections, all praised by international monitors as free and fair.
Freedom House upgraded Karabakh's democracy status as a result
this year. U.S. aid to Nagorno Karabakh has funded crucial demining
programs that have saved lives, but HALO Trust, the world's largest
mine clearance organization, reports that Karabakh still has one
of the highest per capital mining accidents in the world, ahead of
even Afghanistan.
2. 10% of U.S. Assistance to Georgia to be targeted to the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region: Over the past decade, USAID and the
Millennium Challenge Corporation have expanded their presence in
Samtskhe-Javakheti (SJ), a historically Armenian populated region in
the Republic of Georgia, in an effort to address core humanitarian
and economic difficulties that face the population. Over the past
year, Armenian Americans have worked with USAID to identify ways
to leverage existing U.S. aid programs and explore public-private
partnerships. As current projects progress and in anticipation of new
opportunities, we urge that at least 10% of a robust U.S. aid package
to Georgia be targeted to the Samtskhe-Javakheti region to support
job-creation and poverty reduction programs. We also urge the MCC,
which is now considering a second compact with Georgia, to ensure
all regions, including the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, benefit from
this worthwhile effort.
3. $50 Million in Economic Support Funds for Armenia: Since Armenia's
independence in 1991, U.S. aid has played a vital role in meeting
humanitarian needs, fostering democratic reforms, and building
self-sustaining economic growth. Armenia, a landlocked country,
continues to face one of the longest blockades in modern history. For
over twenty years, Armenia has faced not one, but two blockades
instituted by both Turkey and Azerbaijan. Despite repeated pleas
from the U.S. and the EU to end its blockade, Turkey has refused,
underscoring the importance of this aid.
Armenia is committed to expanding its military ties with the United
States and NATO. Armenia is part of the NATO-led ISAF in Afghanistan
and recently nearly tripled its troop deployment to Afghanistan.
Armenia has also granted blanket and valuable over flight rights to the
U.S., contributed troops to the Coalition in Iraq, and sent troops to
support NATO's Kosovo peacekeeping in Kosovo. Armenia also shares our
free enterprise values. The Wall Street Journal-Heritage Foundation
Index of Economic Freedom regularly ranks Armenia as among the top
40 freest economies in the world. This year, Armenia was ranked the
38th freest economy in the world, ahead of Belgium and France.
4. Ensure U.S. humanitarian assistance to Syria is distributed
equitably: The Armenian and Christian communities in Syria have endured
increasing hardship and are especially vulnerable. Community sources
on the ground in Syria report and U.S. based Armenian humanitarian
assistance coalitions have confirmed that the non-lethal aid generously
provided by the U.S. to date has not reached the Armenian populations
in Aleppo and other regions. Thousands of Syrian Armenians have
sought safe-haven in Armenia, which continues, without any U.S aid,
to assist with housing, education and employment help.
We ask the Subcommittee to urge USAID to ensure that all vulnerable
populations in Syria - including Armenians and other Christians -
benefit from the life-saving humanitarian assistance. We also ask
that the State Department/USAID work with Armenia to aid the growing
number of Syrian nationals who have sought refuge there.
5. Strengthening FREEDOM Support Act Sec. 907 & cutting military
aid to Azerbaijan: Enacted in 1992, Section 907 of the FREEDOM
Support Act stands as a statement of U.S. opposition to Azerbaijan's
blockades and other aggressive uses of force against Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh. Since its enactment, Azerbaijan has not lifted
its illegal blockades, ignored House Appropriation Committee Report
language opposing destabilizing threats, and has become increasingly
belligerent, which is why Congress must limit the President's waiver
authority in the face of Baku's provocations. On August 31, 2012,
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev personally pardoned convicted
axe-murderer Ramil Safarov upon his transfer to Azerbaijan from
Hungary, despite agreeing to keep him incarcerated. Immediately after
his pardon, Safarov received a promotion in the Azerbaijani military,
an apartment, and years of back pay for time spent in prison. The
pardon was condemned around the world, including by President Obama,
Members of Congress, the European Parliament, OSCE, Council of Europe,
and NATO.
President Aliyev announced "our main enemies are Armenians of the
world," during a February 28, 2012, national address. In a November
2012 Twitter tirade, President Aliyev stated, "Armenia is a country of
no value. It is actually a colony, an outpost run from abroad . . . ."
Azerbaijan also continues to oppose the repeated calls by the three
OSCE Minsk Group Co Chairs to remove its snipers from the border
between Karabakh and Azerbaijan, although both Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh have agreed to this proposal. In light of Baku's actions, we
urge you to add the following language narrowing the President's waiver
authority and requiring the following additional certification that:
"In the last fiscal year, Azerbaijan has not taken hostile action,
either through military force or incitement, including but not
limited to threatening pronouncements by government officials, toward
Armenia or Nagorno Karabakh, and has both stated and demonstrated
its commitment to pursuing a lasting peace with Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh through solely non-violent means."
Azerbaijan has increased its military budget exponentially to the point
that it surpasses Armenia's entire budget. Baku plans on spending
over $3.7 billion on arms this year. At a time of severe budgetary
constraints and because Azerbaijan continues to destabilize and provoke
the parties in the region as outlined above, the United States should
cut all military aid to Baku, while maintaining its aid to Armenia,
which has shown great restraint in the face of Baku's provocations.
6. Removing restrictions on contacts and communication with
Nagorno Karabakh: The time has come for the lifting of outdated
and counter-productive restrictions on the free exchange of ideas
between U.S. officials and the democratically elected leadership of
Karabakh. These restrictions limit the ability of the U.S. to promote
our interests, block travel and exchanges, bar cooperation on regional
issues, and even complicate oversight of aid programs. As such,
we request that this report language be included: "In the interest
of promoting mutual understanding, regional cooperation, and a fair
and lasting peace, the Committee directs the Department of State
to remove any official or unofficial restrictions on U.S.-Nagorno
Karabakh travel, visitations, discussions, meetings, contacts,
consultations, exchange programs, or other governmental or civil
society communication, cooperation, or interaction."
7. Supporting the reinstatement of Nagorno Karabakh in the Minsk Group
peace process: The Nagorno Karabakh Republic was one of the three
parties to the 1994 cease-fire, which ended military hostilities
between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan. In its aftermath, Nagorno
Karabakh participated in the OSCE Minsk Group peace process as an
equal partner, along with Armenia and Azerbaijan. Since 1998, however,
at Baku's insistence, Nagorno Karabakh has been excluded from the peace
process. Nagorno Karabakh must be permitted to fully participate in all
talks. To continue to exclude Karabakh from the negotiations, which
are about the rights of Karabakh citizens, is counterproductive. We
respectfully request that the following report language be included:
"In the interest of promoting a lasting and durable peace in the South
Caucasus, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic must be reinstated into the
OSCE Minsk Group peace process as a full negotiating partner."
In closing, the ANCA looks forward to working with the Subcommittee
to strengthen the U.S.-Armenia alliance and stability in the region.
From: Baghdasarian
http://asbarez.com/108815/anca-testifies-before-congress/
Friday, March 15th, 2013
ANCA's Raffi Karakashian testifies in Congress
Karakashian Calls for Increased Aid to Artsakh, Armenia, and Javakhk
"The Karabakh issue, at its core, is about freedom. The very American
idea that we all deserve to live in liberty, free from foreign rule,
under a democratic government of our own choosing."
- ANCA Legislative Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian
WASHINGTON-Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Legislative
Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian testified today before a key
Congressional panel in support of increased U.S. assistance to Nagorno
Karabakh, Armenia, and the Javakhk region of Georgia.
In his opening remarks, Karakashian shared with House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX),
Ranking Democrat Nita Lowey (D-NY), and their colleagues news
of the recent Capitol Hill celebration of Nagorno Karabakh's
freedom movement. He thanked the U.S. Congress for its vital role
in sustaining Artsakh with direct aid, supporting its right to
self-determination, and standing up to Azerbaijani acts and threats
of aggression. Karakashian stressed that: "The Karabakh issue, at
its core, is about freedom. It is the very American idea that we all
deserve to live in liberty, free from foreign rule, under a democratic
government of our own choosing."
During his remarks before the U.S. House panel responsible for foreign
aid, Karakashian explained that the support of Congress for a series
of seven funding and policy-related provisions will represent a
strategic investment in strengthening U.S. diplomacy, advancing our
national interests, and promoting core American values in the Caucasus
region. These provisions include:
1. At least $5 million in development assistance for Nagorno Karabakh
2. 10 percent of U.S. assistance to the Republic of Georgia to be
targeted to Samtskhe-Javakheti
3. At least $50 million in economic support funds for Armenia
4. Equitable distribution of U.S. humanitarian assistance to all
needy populations in Syria
5. Strengthening of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and ending
military aid to Azerbaijan
6. Removal of barriers to U.S.-Nagorno Karabakh contacts,
7. Support for the reinstatement of Nagorno Karabakh in the Minsk
Group peace process
Others testifying before the influential House foreign aid panel were
leaders of prominent organizations involved in international affairs,
including Howard Kohr of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC), Admiral James Loy of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition,
and Diane Randall, of the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
The full text of the ANCA's written testimony is provided below. WATCH
video from the testimony.
Testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State,
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs March 13, 2013
The Armenian American community requests:
1. At least $5 million in development assistance for Nagorno Karabakh
2. 10% of U.S. assistance to the Republic of Georgia to be targeted
to Samtskhe-Javakheti
3. At least $50 million in economic support funds for Armenia
4. Equitable distribution of U.S. humanitarian assistance to Syria
5. Strengthening of Sec. 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and ending
military aid to Azerbaijan
6. Removal of barriers to U.S.-Nagorno Karabakh contacts, and
7. Support the reinstatement of Nagorno Karabakh in the Minsk Group
peace process
1. At least $5 million in development assistance for Nagorno Karabakh:
We want to thank the Subcommittee for stipulating in its FY13 bill
that "at least $5,000,000 for humanitarian and development programs
in Nagorno-Karabakh" be allocated. We were encouraged by this clear
directive to USAID and urge the Subcommittee to do the same again
this year. According to Nagorno Karabakh Republic estimates, the
war caused over $5 billion in damages. Nearly twenty years since
the cease-fire established in 1994, Karabakh is still suffering
from significant infrastructure damage, including the shortage of
safe drinking water. Since declaring independence in 1991, Karabakh
has built a solid democracy and a free market economy, has respected
human rights, and has held five parliamentary and five presidential
elections, all praised by international monitors as free and fair.
Freedom House upgraded Karabakh's democracy status as a result
this year. U.S. aid to Nagorno Karabakh has funded crucial demining
programs that have saved lives, but HALO Trust, the world's largest
mine clearance organization, reports that Karabakh still has one
of the highest per capital mining accidents in the world, ahead of
even Afghanistan.
2. 10% of U.S. Assistance to Georgia to be targeted to the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region: Over the past decade, USAID and the
Millennium Challenge Corporation have expanded their presence in
Samtskhe-Javakheti (SJ), a historically Armenian populated region in
the Republic of Georgia, in an effort to address core humanitarian
and economic difficulties that face the population. Over the past
year, Armenian Americans have worked with USAID to identify ways
to leverage existing U.S. aid programs and explore public-private
partnerships. As current projects progress and in anticipation of new
opportunities, we urge that at least 10% of a robust U.S. aid package
to Georgia be targeted to the Samtskhe-Javakheti region to support
job-creation and poverty reduction programs. We also urge the MCC,
which is now considering a second compact with Georgia, to ensure
all regions, including the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, benefit from
this worthwhile effort.
3. $50 Million in Economic Support Funds for Armenia: Since Armenia's
independence in 1991, U.S. aid has played a vital role in meeting
humanitarian needs, fostering democratic reforms, and building
self-sustaining economic growth. Armenia, a landlocked country,
continues to face one of the longest blockades in modern history. For
over twenty years, Armenia has faced not one, but two blockades
instituted by both Turkey and Azerbaijan. Despite repeated pleas
from the U.S. and the EU to end its blockade, Turkey has refused,
underscoring the importance of this aid.
Armenia is committed to expanding its military ties with the United
States and NATO. Armenia is part of the NATO-led ISAF in Afghanistan
and recently nearly tripled its troop deployment to Afghanistan.
Armenia has also granted blanket and valuable over flight rights to the
U.S., contributed troops to the Coalition in Iraq, and sent troops to
support NATO's Kosovo peacekeeping in Kosovo. Armenia also shares our
free enterprise values. The Wall Street Journal-Heritage Foundation
Index of Economic Freedom regularly ranks Armenia as among the top
40 freest economies in the world. This year, Armenia was ranked the
38th freest economy in the world, ahead of Belgium and France.
4. Ensure U.S. humanitarian assistance to Syria is distributed
equitably: The Armenian and Christian communities in Syria have endured
increasing hardship and are especially vulnerable. Community sources
on the ground in Syria report and U.S. based Armenian humanitarian
assistance coalitions have confirmed that the non-lethal aid generously
provided by the U.S. to date has not reached the Armenian populations
in Aleppo and other regions. Thousands of Syrian Armenians have
sought safe-haven in Armenia, which continues, without any U.S aid,
to assist with housing, education and employment help.
We ask the Subcommittee to urge USAID to ensure that all vulnerable
populations in Syria - including Armenians and other Christians -
benefit from the life-saving humanitarian assistance. We also ask
that the State Department/USAID work with Armenia to aid the growing
number of Syrian nationals who have sought refuge there.
5. Strengthening FREEDOM Support Act Sec. 907 & cutting military
aid to Azerbaijan: Enacted in 1992, Section 907 of the FREEDOM
Support Act stands as a statement of U.S. opposition to Azerbaijan's
blockades and other aggressive uses of force against Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh. Since its enactment, Azerbaijan has not lifted
its illegal blockades, ignored House Appropriation Committee Report
language opposing destabilizing threats, and has become increasingly
belligerent, which is why Congress must limit the President's waiver
authority in the face of Baku's provocations. On August 31, 2012,
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev personally pardoned convicted
axe-murderer Ramil Safarov upon his transfer to Azerbaijan from
Hungary, despite agreeing to keep him incarcerated. Immediately after
his pardon, Safarov received a promotion in the Azerbaijani military,
an apartment, and years of back pay for time spent in prison. The
pardon was condemned around the world, including by President Obama,
Members of Congress, the European Parliament, OSCE, Council of Europe,
and NATO.
President Aliyev announced "our main enemies are Armenians of the
world," during a February 28, 2012, national address. In a November
2012 Twitter tirade, President Aliyev stated, "Armenia is a country of
no value. It is actually a colony, an outpost run from abroad . . . ."
Azerbaijan also continues to oppose the repeated calls by the three
OSCE Minsk Group Co Chairs to remove its snipers from the border
between Karabakh and Azerbaijan, although both Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh have agreed to this proposal. In light of Baku's actions, we
urge you to add the following language narrowing the President's waiver
authority and requiring the following additional certification that:
"In the last fiscal year, Azerbaijan has not taken hostile action,
either through military force or incitement, including but not
limited to threatening pronouncements by government officials, toward
Armenia or Nagorno Karabakh, and has both stated and demonstrated
its commitment to pursuing a lasting peace with Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh through solely non-violent means."
Azerbaijan has increased its military budget exponentially to the point
that it surpasses Armenia's entire budget. Baku plans on spending
over $3.7 billion on arms this year. At a time of severe budgetary
constraints and because Azerbaijan continues to destabilize and provoke
the parties in the region as outlined above, the United States should
cut all military aid to Baku, while maintaining its aid to Armenia,
which has shown great restraint in the face of Baku's provocations.
6. Removing restrictions on contacts and communication with
Nagorno Karabakh: The time has come for the lifting of outdated
and counter-productive restrictions on the free exchange of ideas
between U.S. officials and the democratically elected leadership of
Karabakh. These restrictions limit the ability of the U.S. to promote
our interests, block travel and exchanges, bar cooperation on regional
issues, and even complicate oversight of aid programs. As such,
we request that this report language be included: "In the interest
of promoting mutual understanding, regional cooperation, and a fair
and lasting peace, the Committee directs the Department of State
to remove any official or unofficial restrictions on U.S.-Nagorno
Karabakh travel, visitations, discussions, meetings, contacts,
consultations, exchange programs, or other governmental or civil
society communication, cooperation, or interaction."
7. Supporting the reinstatement of Nagorno Karabakh in the Minsk Group
peace process: The Nagorno Karabakh Republic was one of the three
parties to the 1994 cease-fire, which ended military hostilities
between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan. In its aftermath, Nagorno
Karabakh participated in the OSCE Minsk Group peace process as an
equal partner, along with Armenia and Azerbaijan. Since 1998, however,
at Baku's insistence, Nagorno Karabakh has been excluded from the peace
process. Nagorno Karabakh must be permitted to fully participate in all
talks. To continue to exclude Karabakh from the negotiations, which
are about the rights of Karabakh citizens, is counterproductive. We
respectfully request that the following report language be included:
"In the interest of promoting a lasting and durable peace in the South
Caucasus, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic must be reinstated into the
OSCE Minsk Group peace process as a full negotiating partner."
In closing, the ANCA looks forward to working with the Subcommittee
to strengthen the U.S.-Armenia alliance and stability in the region.
From: Baghdasarian