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SENATE APPROPRIATORS REAFFIRM SUPPORT FOR KARABAKH AID PROGRAM
10:49 20.06.2014
Nagorno-Karabakh, US
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, by a bipartisan vote of
25 to 5, overwhelming adopted a Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) foreign
aid legislative package that, once again, reaffirmed U.S. support
for the longstanding U.S. assistance program for Nagorno Karabakh,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
"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," read the report which accompanies
the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill. Nagorno Karabakh
was one of only seven aid recipients from the entire Europe and South
and Central Asia region to be specifically cited by the panel. Others
included Afghanistan, Pakistan, Serbia, and Kosovo.
The Committee remained silent on specific U.S. assistance levels to
most countries, including the Caucasus countries, thereby essentially
approving the broad outlines of President Obama's proposed spending
levels of $20.7 million in Economic Support Funds (ESF) for Armenia,
along with $1.7 in Foreign Military Finance (FMF) aid and $600,000
in International Military Education and Training (IMET) funds. The
President's proposed budget maintained parity in appropriated U.S.
military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan. The measure also effectively
endorsed the President's proposal to allocate $9.6 million in Economic
Support Funds to Azerbaijan, and $38.2 million in ESF and $10 million
in FMF to Georgia.
The Senate version of the foreign aid bill also included language
regarding Syria, instructing the Administration that funds "may be"
used for programs that seek to "establish governance in Syria that is
representative, inclusive, and accountable; expand the role of women
in negotiations to end the violence and in any political transition
in Syria . . . further the legitimacy of the Syrian opposition through
cross-border programs. . ."
The House Appropriations Committee is set to consider its version of
the foreign aid bill on Tuesday, June 24th at 10am EST. Following the
approval of the two measures at the committee level, they will be
considered by the full House and Senate. Afterwards, appropriators
from the houses will convene a conference to work out differences,
prior to sending a reconciled version of the legislation to the
President for signature.
In testimony submitted to the House Subcommittee on State-Foreign
Operations in April of this year, ANCA Government Affairs Director
Kate Nahapetian urged the panel to prioritize a number of provisions,
including:
1) At least $5 million in U.S. developmental aid to Nagorno Karabakh,
for water and de-mining projects
2) Zero-out U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan until it ceases its
aggression, renounces violence, and commits to a purely peaceful
resolution of regional conflicts.
3) At least $40 million in U.S. economic assistance to Armenia.
4) In light of the recent attacks on Kessab, a special focus on the
delivery of humanitarian and resettlement aid to Armenians and other
at-risk minorities in Syria, as well as targeted aid to help Armenia
settle thousands fleeing from Syria.
5) At least 10% of U.S. assistance to Georgia to be earmarked for
job creation programs in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of that country.
6) Language strengthening Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid to
Azerbaijan.
7) Ending the Exclusion of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh from the
peace process:
Nahapetian, in her closing remarks, underscored the increasingly
central role that trade and investment should play supplanting aid
as the key driver of the U.S.-Armenia economic relationship, noting:
"in light of the downward trend in U.S. economic aid to Armenia,
we encourage the Subcommittee to encourage the Administration to
prioritize bilateral U.S.-Armenia trade and investment promotion,
including through the negotiation of a Trade and Investment Framework
Agreement, a Double Tax Treaty, and other economic accords. The
American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia and the ANCA have formally
called for expanding economic relations through such agreements,
as have U.S. businesses operating in Armenia, among them Microsoft,
FedEx, NASDAQ and Marriot."
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/06/20/senate-appropriators-reaffirm-support-for-karabakh-aid-program/
10:49 20.06.2014
Nagorno-Karabakh, US
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, by a bipartisan vote of
25 to 5, overwhelming adopted a Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) foreign
aid legislative package that, once again, reaffirmed U.S. support
for the longstanding U.S. assistance program for Nagorno Karabakh,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
"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," read the report which accompanies
the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill. Nagorno Karabakh
was one of only seven aid recipients from the entire Europe and South
and Central Asia region to be specifically cited by the panel. Others
included Afghanistan, Pakistan, Serbia, and Kosovo.
The Committee remained silent on specific U.S. assistance levels to
most countries, including the Caucasus countries, thereby essentially
approving the broad outlines of President Obama's proposed spending
levels of $20.7 million in Economic Support Funds (ESF) for Armenia,
along with $1.7 in Foreign Military Finance (FMF) aid and $600,000
in International Military Education and Training (IMET) funds. The
President's proposed budget maintained parity in appropriated U.S.
military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan. The measure also effectively
endorsed the President's proposal to allocate $9.6 million in Economic
Support Funds to Azerbaijan, and $38.2 million in ESF and $10 million
in FMF to Georgia.
The Senate version of the foreign aid bill also included language
regarding Syria, instructing the Administration that funds "may be"
used for programs that seek to "establish governance in Syria that is
representative, inclusive, and accountable; expand the role of women
in negotiations to end the violence and in any political transition
in Syria . . . further the legitimacy of the Syrian opposition through
cross-border programs. . ."
The House Appropriations Committee is set to consider its version of
the foreign aid bill on Tuesday, June 24th at 10am EST. Following the
approval of the two measures at the committee level, they will be
considered by the full House and Senate. Afterwards, appropriators
from the houses will convene a conference to work out differences,
prior to sending a reconciled version of the legislation to the
President for signature.
In testimony submitted to the House Subcommittee on State-Foreign
Operations in April of this year, ANCA Government Affairs Director
Kate Nahapetian urged the panel to prioritize a number of provisions,
including:
1) At least $5 million in U.S. developmental aid to Nagorno Karabakh,
for water and de-mining projects
2) Zero-out U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan until it ceases its
aggression, renounces violence, and commits to a purely peaceful
resolution of regional conflicts.
3) At least $40 million in U.S. economic assistance to Armenia.
4) In light of the recent attacks on Kessab, a special focus on the
delivery of humanitarian and resettlement aid to Armenians and other
at-risk minorities in Syria, as well as targeted aid to help Armenia
settle thousands fleeing from Syria.
5) At least 10% of U.S. assistance to Georgia to be earmarked for
job creation programs in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of that country.
6) Language strengthening Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid to
Azerbaijan.
7) Ending the Exclusion of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh from the
peace process:
Nahapetian, in her closing remarks, underscored the increasingly
central role that trade and investment should play supplanting aid
as the key driver of the U.S.-Armenia economic relationship, noting:
"in light of the downward trend in U.S. economic aid to Armenia,
we encourage the Subcommittee to encourage the Administration to
prioritize bilateral U.S.-Armenia trade and investment promotion,
including through the negotiation of a Trade and Investment Framework
Agreement, a Double Tax Treaty, and other economic accords. The
American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia and the ANCA have formally
called for expanding economic relations through such agreements,
as have U.S. businesses operating in Armenia, among them Microsoft,
FedEx, NASDAQ and Marriot."
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/06/20/senate-appropriators-reaffirm-support-for-karabakh-aid-program/