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ANCA: Senate Blocks Funding for Armenia Railroad Bypass

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  • ANCA: Senate Blocks Funding for Armenia Railroad Bypass

    Armenian National Committee of America
    1711 N Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20036
    Tel. (202) 775-1918
    Fax. (202) 775-5648
    [email protected]
    Internet www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE

    For Immediate Release
    October 2, 2006
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918

    ANCA WELCOMES SENATE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION
    TO BLOCK U.S. SUBSIDY FOR ARMENIA RAILROAD BYPASS

    WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
    has welcomed the adoption by the U.S. Senate of legislation
    protecting U.S. taxpayers from funding an unnecessary and costly
    proposed railroad between Turkey and Georgia that would, if built,
    circumvent Armenia.

    The Senate, during its final day in session before the November 7th
    mid-term elections, passed the measure by unanimous consent as part
    of its reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank. On September
    21st the Senate Banking Committee, during its consideration of the
    Export-Import bill, had agreed to add the railway language, offered
    initially as an amendment by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), to the
    larger measure. The Menendez Amendment was ultimately accepted as
    a "manager's amendment" by Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL)
    and Ranking Democrat Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) and unanimously approved
    by the panel.

    "Armenian Americans welcome the Senate's strong stand against the
    efforts of Turkey and Azerbaijan to institutionalize their
    blockades of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh," said ANCA Executive
    Director Aram Hamparian. "We appreciate the leadership of Senators
    Santorum and Menendez in introducing the Railway legislation - as
    well as the vital support this measure received in the Banking
    Committee from Senators Shelby and Sarbanes."

    The language adopted by the Senate reads as follows:

    SEC. 11. PROHIBITION ON ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOP OR PROMOTE CERTAIN
    RAILWAY CONNECTIONS AND RAILWAY-RELATED CONNECTIONS.

    Section 2(b) of the Export-Import Act of 1945 (12 U.S.C. 635(b)) is
    amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

    (13) Prohibition on Assistance To Develop or Promote Certain
    Railway Connections and Railway-Related Connections.--The Bank
    shall not guarantee, insure, or extend (or participate in the
    extension of) credit in connection with the export of any good or
    service relating to the development or promotion of any railway
    connection or railway-related connection that does not traverse or
    connect with Armenia and does traverse or connect Baku, Azerbaijan,
    Tbilisi, Georgia, and Kars, Turkey.

    The U.S. House, this July, adopted the railway language as part of
    its version of the Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Bill,
    following a successful effort within the Financial Services
    Committee, spearheaded by Representatives Joseph Crowley (D-NY),
    Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Ed Royce (R-CA), to amend this text to the
    EXIM measure. Both versions are based on the South Caucasus
    Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2006 (S. 2461 / H.R. 3361),
    introduced in the Senate by Rick Santorum (R-PA) and in the House
    by Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), the Co-Chairman of the Armenian
    Caucus.

    The proposed new Caucasus rail line - at the urging of Turkey and
    Azerbaijan - would circumvent Armenia. Promoters of the project
    have sought, even at the planning stages, to secure U.S. financing
    for this undertaking, prompting Congressional friends of Armenia to
    preemptively block such attempts. In October of 2005, the European
    Commission voiced official opposition to the proposed Caucasus
    railroad bypass of Armenia. A formal statement by the Commission's
    Directorate General for Transport and Energy noted that its
    construction was both unnecessary and inefficient in light of the
    existing railroad connecting Kars, Gyumri, and Tbilisi.

    The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is the
    official export credit agency of the United States. Ex-Im Bank's
    mission is to assist in financing the export of U.S. goods and
    services to international markets.

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