Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ANCA Urges Legislators to Adopt Key Pro-Armenia Trade Measure

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ANCA Urges Legislators to Adopt Key Pro-Armenia Trade Measure

    Armenian National Committee of America
    888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
    Washington, DC 20006
    Tel: (202) 775-1918
    Fax: (202) 775-5648
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Internet: www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    October 5, 2004
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918

    ANCA URGES LEGISLATORS TO ADOPT KEY PRO-ARMENIA
    TRADE MEASURE BEFORE CONGRESS ENDS SESSION

    -- Urges Adoption of Provision as Part of Larger Trade Measure

    WASHINGTON, DC - With the 108th session of Congress coming to an
    end, the Armenian National Committee of America is urging
    legislators to include a pro-Armenia trade measure, spearheaded by
    Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI)
    and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), in the final version of a
    larger trade bill set to be approved before the end of this week.

    The U.S. House, last November, approved Permanent Normal Trade
    Relations Status (PNTR) for Armenia, opening the door to expanded
    U.S.-Armenia commercial relations. The Senate version of this
    legislation, known as the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical
    Corrections Act of 2004 (H.R.1047), did not include the PNTR for
    Armenia provision. As a result, the Congressional leadership has
    assigned a "conference committee" to reconcile the two different
    versions of this legislation. The conferees include Ways and Means
    Committee Chairman, Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA); Trade Subcommittee
    Chairman, Rep. Phil Crane (R-IL); Rep. E. Clay Shaw (R-FL); Ways
    and Means Ranking Democrat, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY); Trade
    Subcommittee Ranking Democrat, Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI); Senate
    Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN); Finance Committee Chairman, Sen.
    Charles Grassley (R-IA), and; Finance Committee Ranking Democrat,
    Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT).

    The ANCA has asked Armenian Americans to call on their Senators and
    Representative to urge the conferees to include PNTR for Armenia in
    the final version of the bill approved by Congress. The ANCA
    action alert can be found at: http://www.anca.org

    The sample letter for activists includes several reasons to support
    this legislation, among them:

    * Increased U.S.-Armenia trade and investment advances U.S.
    foreign policy by strengthening Armenia's free market economic
    development and integration into the world economy.

    * Expanded U.S.-Armenia commercial relations will strengthen
    bilateral relations and reinforces the enduring friendship between
    the American and Armenian peoples.

    * Adoption of PNTR for Armenia will help offset - at no cost to
    U.S. taxpayers - the devastating impact of the dual Turkish and
    Azerbaijani blockades, estimated by the World Bank as costing
    Armenia up to a third of its entire GDP (as much as $720 million
    annually) and half of its exports.

    The Trade Act of 1974 excluded all Soviet countries from having
    normal trade relations (NTR) status with the United States. One
    particular provision of the Act, known as the Jackson-Vanik
    amendment, required the President to deny NTR to those countries
    that restricted free emigration. The policy was adopted, in part,
    in response to Communist government restrictions on the emigration
    of Jews. According to the terms of the Jackson-Vanik amendment,
    when the President determines that freedom of emigration rights
    have been reinstated in a country, normal trade relations may be
    granted. To maintain NTR, the President must report to Congress
    twice a year that Jackson-Vanik requirements have been met. While
    successive Presidents have waived the Jackson-Vanik Amendment
    restrictions on Armenia during the past decade, the passage of the
    Knollenberg bill, would grant Armenia permanent normal trade
    relations status, without the need for semi-yearly Presidential
    determinations.
Working...
X