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SENATE COMMITTEE CALLS FOR CONTINUED AID TO KARABAKH
asbarez
Friday, May 25th, 2012
The US Senate
Senate Panel silent on aid figures to Armenia, signaling support for
President's proposed reduction in economic assistance; Conference
Committee likely to reconcile Senate bill with more constructive
provisions in the House version
WASHINGTON-The Senate Appropriations Committee, in its version of
the Fiscal Year 2013 foreign aid bill, called for continued aid to
Nagorno Karabakh, but failed to include specific dollar figures for
aid to Armenia, effectively signaling support for President Obama's
proposal to cut economic aid to Armenia by nineteen percent, reported
the Armenian National Committee of America.
Despite overall reductions in foreign aid spending, Senate
Appropriators included language supporting continued assistance to
Nagorno Karabakh, noting that: "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." This represents
progress over last year's Senate Committee report, which limited aid
to only to "humanitarian assistance," and did not specify that the
amount should be consistent with prior years.
The President, earlier this year, proposed a total of $32,543,000
in FY13 economic aid to Armenia, including $27,219,000 in Economic
Support Fund, $2,824,000 in International Narcotics Control and Law
Enforcement assistance and $2,500,000 in Global Health Programs. His
proposal represents a 19% cut from the $40,000,000 allocated by
Congress for FY12. The Senate, by not including a dollar amount for
Armenia, effectively signaled support for the President's proposed
reduction. The U.S. House, which earlier this month approved a $40
million economic aid package for Armenia, will, most likely, seek to
reconcile its Armenia aid figures with the Senate version during a
conference committee of legislators from both houses.
Similar to last year, the Senate was silent on military aid parity
for Armenia and Azerbaijan, which represents tacit support for the
President's budget request that equal amounts of Foreign Military
Financing ($2,700,000) and International Military Education and
Training ($600,000) be provided to both Yerevan and Baku.
Earlier this month, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee proposed
sharply increasing aid to Nagorno Karabakh from $2 to $5 million and
rejected the Obama Administration's proposed $7.2 million cut in aid
to Armenia, by calling for $40 million in economic aid to Armenia. The
House panel also maintained military aid parity between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, and called upon the Administration to formulate a strategy
for targeted aid to the Armenian-populated Javakhk region of Georgia.
In addition, the panel called on the Secretary of State to continue
support for Armenians and other Christian populations at risk due to
recent unrest in the Middle East.
From: A. Papazian
asbarez
Friday, May 25th, 2012
The US Senate
Senate Panel silent on aid figures to Armenia, signaling support for
President's proposed reduction in economic assistance; Conference
Committee likely to reconcile Senate bill with more constructive
provisions in the House version
WASHINGTON-The Senate Appropriations Committee, in its version of
the Fiscal Year 2013 foreign aid bill, called for continued aid to
Nagorno Karabakh, but failed to include specific dollar figures for
aid to Armenia, effectively signaling support for President Obama's
proposal to cut economic aid to Armenia by nineteen percent, reported
the Armenian National Committee of America.
Despite overall reductions in foreign aid spending, Senate
Appropriators included language supporting continued assistance to
Nagorno Karabakh, noting that: "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." This represents
progress over last year's Senate Committee report, which limited aid
to only to "humanitarian assistance," and did not specify that the
amount should be consistent with prior years.
The President, earlier this year, proposed a total of $32,543,000
in FY13 economic aid to Armenia, including $27,219,000 in Economic
Support Fund, $2,824,000 in International Narcotics Control and Law
Enforcement assistance and $2,500,000 in Global Health Programs. His
proposal represents a 19% cut from the $40,000,000 allocated by
Congress for FY12. The Senate, by not including a dollar amount for
Armenia, effectively signaled support for the President's proposed
reduction. The U.S. House, which earlier this month approved a $40
million economic aid package for Armenia, will, most likely, seek to
reconcile its Armenia aid figures with the Senate version during a
conference committee of legislators from both houses.
Similar to last year, the Senate was silent on military aid parity
for Armenia and Azerbaijan, which represents tacit support for the
President's budget request that equal amounts of Foreign Military
Financing ($2,700,000) and International Military Education and
Training ($600,000) be provided to both Yerevan and Baku.
Earlier this month, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee proposed
sharply increasing aid to Nagorno Karabakh from $2 to $5 million and
rejected the Obama Administration's proposed $7.2 million cut in aid
to Armenia, by calling for $40 million in economic aid to Armenia. The
House panel also maintained military aid parity between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, and called upon the Administration to formulate a strategy
for targeted aid to the Armenian-populated Javakhk region of Georgia.
In addition, the panel called on the Secretary of State to continue
support for Armenians and other Christian populations at risk due to
recent unrest in the Middle East.
From: A. Papazian