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OBAMA BUDGET CALLS FOR RECORD LOW LEVEL OF AID TO ARMENIA
10:45, 03 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
The Obama-Biden Administration budget released today calls for a yet
another reduction in U.S. economic assistance to both Armenia and
Azerbaijan, while maintaining parity in military aid to these two
countries, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The President's proposal of $18,360,000 in Economic Support Funds
for Armenia in Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 would, if approved by Congress,
represent a record low in such aid since Armenia's independence. The
White House's proposal for Armenia is over $2 million less than FY
2014's actual economic aid allocation, and less than half of the $40
million requested in a Congressional Armenian Caucus letter and ANCA
Congressional testimony submitted last year.
"The White House must match its relentless reductions in aid to
Armenia with an equally energetic effort to substantially increase
bilateral trade and investment between our two nations," stated ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "It's not too late for President
Obama, who came into office promising to grow U.S.-Armenia economic
relations, to negotiate a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement,
put in place a badly-needed new Tax Treaty, and organize targeted
trade missions promoting cooperation in IT, health care, education,
tourism and other key sectors of Armenia's economy."
The White House's proposal did, however, maintain parity in terms of
appropriated military aid, with International Military Education and
Training (IMET) assistance set at $600,000 and Foreign Military Finance
(FMF) at $1,700,000. "While we remain deeply troubled that the Obama
Administration - in the wake yet another wave of fatal cross-border
Azerbaijani aggression - would propose any military aid at all to
Ilham Aliyev's armed forces, we do appreciate that, in this context,
the principle of military aid parity has been maintained to both
Armenia and Azerbaijan," added 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.
In the coming months, the ANCA will be working with the Congressional
Armenian Caucus and Senate and House Appropriators to increase
assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and zero-out all military
assistance to Azerbaijan. "We urge Congress, during their consideration
of the foreign aid bill, to increase aid to Armenia and Artsakh,
cut all military aid to Azerbaijan, and support our other foreign
aid policy priorities," noted Hamparian.
Economic Support FundForeign Military FinancingInt'l
Military Education & TrainingInt'l Narcotics Control & Law
Enforcement Armenia$18,360,000$1,700,000$600,000$1,700,000
Azerbaijan$7,978,000$1,700,000$600,000$800,000 Georgia:$50,552,000$
0$2,200,000$3,500,000
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/02/03/obama-budget-calls-for-record-low-level-of-aid-to-armenia/
10:45, 03 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
The Obama-Biden Administration budget released today calls for a yet
another reduction in U.S. economic assistance to both Armenia and
Azerbaijan, while maintaining parity in military aid to these two
countries, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The President's proposal of $18,360,000 in Economic Support Funds
for Armenia in Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 would, if approved by Congress,
represent a record low in such aid since Armenia's independence. The
White House's proposal for Armenia is over $2 million less than FY
2014's actual economic aid allocation, and less than half of the $40
million requested in a Congressional Armenian Caucus letter and ANCA
Congressional testimony submitted last year.
"The White House must match its relentless reductions in aid to
Armenia with an equally energetic effort to substantially increase
bilateral trade and investment between our two nations," stated ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "It's not too late for President
Obama, who came into office promising to grow U.S.-Armenia economic
relations, to negotiate a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement,
put in place a badly-needed new Tax Treaty, and organize targeted
trade missions promoting cooperation in IT, health care, education,
tourism and other key sectors of Armenia's economy."
The White House's proposal did, however, maintain parity in terms of
appropriated military aid, with International Military Education and
Training (IMET) assistance set at $600,000 and Foreign Military Finance
(FMF) at $1,700,000. "While we remain deeply troubled that the Obama
Administration - in the wake yet another wave of fatal cross-border
Azerbaijani aggression - would propose any military aid at all to
Ilham Aliyev's armed forces, we do appreciate that, in this context,
the principle of military aid parity has been maintained to both
Armenia and Azerbaijan," added 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.
In the coming months, the ANCA will be working with the Congressional
Armenian Caucus and Senate and House Appropriators to increase
assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and zero-out all military
assistance to Azerbaijan. "We urge Congress, during their consideration
of the foreign aid bill, to increase aid to Armenia and Artsakh,
cut all military aid to Azerbaijan, and support our other foreign
aid policy priorities," noted Hamparian.
Economic Support FundForeign Military FinancingInt'l
Military Education & TrainingInt'l Narcotics Control & Law
Enforcement Armenia$18,360,000$1,700,000$600,000$1,700,000
Azerbaijan$7,978,000$1,700,000$600,000$800,000 Georgia:$50,552,000$
0$2,200,000$3,500,000
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/02/03/obama-budget-calls-for-record-low-level-of-aid-to-armenia/