Tweet
Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan
Subject: Obama Requests $ 40 Million In Aid To Armenia For FY2012; Again Proposes Breaking Armenia-Azerbaijan Military Aid Parity In Favor Of BAKU
OBAMA REQUESTS $ 40 MILLION IN AID TO ARMENIA FOR FY2012; AGAIN PROPOSES BREAKING ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN MILITARY AID PARITY IN FAVOR OF BAKU
www.nt.am Noyan Tapan 15.02.2011 | 09:55
Press release
(Noyan Tapan - 15.02.2011) Global Health and Child Survival Account
Slashed for Armenia and Azerbaijan
House Set to Consider FY2011 Budget as Soon as February 15th
WASHINGTON, DC - As the U.S. Congress continues deliberations over
appropriations for the remaining months of Fiscal Year 2011, President
Barack Obama today announced his proposed Fiscal Year 2012 budget
numbers, which included a call for $ 40 million in aid to Armenia
and a pro-Baku tilt in U.S. military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
"Armenian Americans, keenly aware of the ongoing economic hardships
caused by Turkey and Azerbaijan's blockades, are troubled that
President Obama, although he kept his aid request for Armenia
consistent with the proposal he submitted last year, is, in actual
dollars, seeking a cut in aid compared to the amount approved last
year by Congress," said Aram Hamparian. "We are also very concerned
that the President's bid to tip the military aid balance in Baku,
in the face of growing threats by Azerbaijani leaders to start a new
war, will undermine the Nagorno Karabakh peace process."
"More broadly, in light of the increasing budget pressures on foreign
aid spending, we are especially disappointed by the President's
failure, despite his pledge to expand U.S.-Armenia trade, to take
any meaningful steps to expand U.S.-Armenian commercial relations,
through a U.S.-Armenia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, a
Double Tax Treaty, or a Free Trade Agreement," added Hamparian. "These
accords are keys to fostering job creation both here and in Armenia."
While President Obama's FY 2012 economic assistance request of $ 40
million for Armenia is the same as his previous request in FY 2011,
he cut all Global Health and Child Survival assistance to Armenia,
which had been traditionally set at $ 400,000. Azerbaijan's economic
assistance request took a sharper hit - cut 25% from $ 22.12 million
to $ 16.6 million, with their Global Health and Child Survival
assistance also reduced to zero. In terms of military assistance,
the President asked for $ 3.45 million in combined Foreign Military
Finance Assistance and International Military Education and Training
(IMET) assistance for Armenia -- $ 450,000 less than his request
for Azerbaijan.
The complete figures are provided in the chart attached.
The Congress is still working out funding for the remainder of FY 2011,
with the U.S. House set to vote on its revised version of a Continuing
Resolution on Tuesday, February 15th. House Resolution 1 (H.R.1) asks
for $ 697.1 million in assistance to Europe and Eurasia, a $ 45 million
reduction from the previous year. No specific assistance amounts are
specified for Armenia or Nagorno Karabakh in the measure. Following
final Congressional approval and Presidential signature, the State
Department will report to Congress how it intends to spend these
funds. Congress will have an opportunity at that time to comment on
specific funding matters.
Armenian Americans have been contacting their legislators over the
past several weeks urging them to maintain high levels of U.S.
assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. ANCA Webmails to members
of the House and Senate highlights the constructive cooperation of
Armenia with the United States on a broad range of regional, security,
and peace-keeping challenges: "The Armenian government sent troops to
Iraq as part of our Coalition operations, has forces in Kosovo as part
of NATO peacekeeping efforts, and has sent a contingent of forces to
Afghanistan in support of our nation's military mission. In addition,
Armenia is actively and constructively engaged in the OSCE Minsk
Group's Nagorno Karabakh peace process and, despite any meaningful
reciprocation from Turkey, remains party to a set of Protocols aimed
at normalizing bilateral ties between the two nations."
The ANCA alert is available at:
After approving the FY 2011 Budget, the Foreign Operations
Subcommittees of the House and Senate Appropriation Committees will
review the President's FY 2012 proposal and each will draft their
own versions of the assistance bill.
Subject: Obama Requests $ 40 Million In Aid To Armenia For FY2012; Again Proposes Breaking Armenia-Azerbaijan Military Aid Parity In Favor Of BAKU
OBAMA REQUESTS $ 40 MILLION IN AID TO ARMENIA FOR FY2012; AGAIN PROPOSES BREAKING ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN MILITARY AID PARITY IN FAVOR OF BAKU
www.nt.am Noyan Tapan 15.02.2011 | 09:55
Press release
(Noyan Tapan - 15.02.2011) Global Health and Child Survival Account
Slashed for Armenia and Azerbaijan
House Set to Consider FY2011 Budget as Soon as February 15th
WASHINGTON, DC - As the U.S. Congress continues deliberations over
appropriations for the remaining months of Fiscal Year 2011, President
Barack Obama today announced his proposed Fiscal Year 2012 budget
numbers, which included a call for $ 40 million in aid to Armenia
and a pro-Baku tilt in U.S. military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
"Armenian Americans, keenly aware of the ongoing economic hardships
caused by Turkey and Azerbaijan's blockades, are troubled that
President Obama, although he kept his aid request for Armenia
consistent with the proposal he submitted last year, is, in actual
dollars, seeking a cut in aid compared to the amount approved last
year by Congress," said Aram Hamparian. "We are also very concerned
that the President's bid to tip the military aid balance in Baku,
in the face of growing threats by Azerbaijani leaders to start a new
war, will undermine the Nagorno Karabakh peace process."
"More broadly, in light of the increasing budget pressures on foreign
aid spending, we are especially disappointed by the President's
failure, despite his pledge to expand U.S.-Armenia trade, to take
any meaningful steps to expand U.S.-Armenian commercial relations,
through a U.S.-Armenia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, a
Double Tax Treaty, or a Free Trade Agreement," added Hamparian. "These
accords are keys to fostering job creation both here and in Armenia."
While President Obama's FY 2012 economic assistance request of $ 40
million for Armenia is the same as his previous request in FY 2011,
he cut all Global Health and Child Survival assistance to Armenia,
which had been traditionally set at $ 400,000. Azerbaijan's economic
assistance request took a sharper hit - cut 25% from $ 22.12 million
to $ 16.6 million, with their Global Health and Child Survival
assistance also reduced to zero. In terms of military assistance,
the President asked for $ 3.45 million in combined Foreign Military
Finance Assistance and International Military Education and Training
(IMET) assistance for Armenia -- $ 450,000 less than his request
for Azerbaijan.
The complete figures are provided in the chart attached.
The Congress is still working out funding for the remainder of FY 2011,
with the U.S. House set to vote on its revised version of a Continuing
Resolution on Tuesday, February 15th. House Resolution 1 (H.R.1) asks
for $ 697.1 million in assistance to Europe and Eurasia, a $ 45 million
reduction from the previous year. No specific assistance amounts are
specified for Armenia or Nagorno Karabakh in the measure. Following
final Congressional approval and Presidential signature, the State
Department will report to Congress how it intends to spend these
funds. Congress will have an opportunity at that time to comment on
specific funding matters.
Armenian Americans have been contacting their legislators over the
past several weeks urging them to maintain high levels of U.S.
assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. ANCA Webmails to members
of the House and Senate highlights the constructive cooperation of
Armenia with the United States on a broad range of regional, security,
and peace-keeping challenges: "The Armenian government sent troops to
Iraq as part of our Coalition operations, has forces in Kosovo as part
of NATO peacekeeping efforts, and has sent a contingent of forces to
Afghanistan in support of our nation's military mission. In addition,
Armenia is actively and constructively engaged in the OSCE Minsk
Group's Nagorno Karabakh peace process and, despite any meaningful
reciprocation from Turkey, remains party to a set of Protocols aimed
at normalizing bilateral ties between the two nations."
The ANCA alert is available at:
After approving the FY 2011 Budget, the Foreign Operations
Subcommittees of the House and Senate Appropriation Committees will
review the President's FY 2012 proposal and each will draft their
own versions of the assistance bill.
Comment