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AAA: President Bush Signs Omnibus Spending Bill

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  • AAA: President Bush Signs Omnibus Spending Bill

    Armenian Assembly of America
    122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
    Washington, DC 20001
    Phone: 202-393-3434
    Fax: 202-638-4904
    Email: [email protected]
    Web: www.armenianassembly.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    December 9, 2004
    CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
    Email: [email protected]

    PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL
    Reinstates Military Aid Parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan

    Washington, DC - The Armenian Assembly hailed yesterday's enactment of
    the Fiscal Year 2005 Omnibus Spending Bill, reinstating security aid
    parity to Armenia and Azerbaijan by allocating $8.75 million in
    military financing to both countries. This action foils the
    Administration's attempt at the beginning of the year to provide Baku
    with a $6 million increase over Yerevan.

    "The Assembly welcomes the enactment of this measure which puts
    Armenia and Azerbaijan on equal footing," said Board of Directors
    Chairman Anthony Barsamian. "The Administration's budget request to
    Congress could have weakened U.S. credibility as an impartial and
    leading mediator in the Karabakh peace process and could have resulted
    in a resumption of hostilities, with potentially dire consequences for
    U.S. economic and national security interests."

    "We are therefore pleased by this action and salute our network of
    grassroots activists who worked side-by-side with the Assembly in
    urging Congress to reaffirm military aid parity and to maintain the
    highest levels of funding for Armenia and Karabakh."

    The legislation also allocates "not less than" $75 million in economic
    aid to Armenia and $3 million in humanitarian aid to Nagorno Karabakh.
    The U.S. continues to be the only nation in the world to provide aid
    to Karabakh.

    The House and Senate foreign operations expenditures were combined in
    a final conference report which was included in the Omnibus Spending
    Bill and passed by both Chambers before being enacted by President
    Bush.

    The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
    nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
    of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
    organization.

    ###

    NR#2004-105
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