US CONGRESS APPROVES $40 MILLION ASSISTANCE TO ARMENIA

Tert.am
21.12.11

The US Senate and House finalized the Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) US
foreign assistance package this past weekend, approving $40 million
in U.S. assistance to Armenia, maintaining current funding levels
for Nagorno Karabakh, and calling for military assistance parity for
Armenia and Azerbaijan, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).

"Armenian Americans want to thank all our friends among the memberships
of the appropriating committees on both the House and Senate sides
for enforcing military aid parity and for holding the line on aid to
Armenia and Artsakh in the face of across the board cuts in America's
foreign aid spending," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of
the ANCA.

In terms of US aid to the Caucasus, Congress approved President Obama's
proposed economic assistance levels, including $40 million for Armenia,
$16.6 million for Azerbaijan, and $66 million for Georgia. In a report
accompanying the foreign aid bill, Senate and House conferees made
specific mention that there should be parity in both Foreign Military
Finance (FMF) and International Military Education and Training
(IMET) levels to Armenia and Azerbaijan. While President Obama had
requested $3 million in FMF funding for each country, the IMET funds
he had proposed for Azerbaijan ($900,000) were twice that for Armenia.

Congress also agreed to provide assistance for Nagorno Karabakh "at
levels consistent with prior years, and for ongoing needs related to
the conflict," while urging a "peaceful resolution of the conflict."