U.S. to allocate $0 to Armenia, $105 mln to Georgia under spending billMarch 24, 2018 - 12:34 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. president Donald Trump signed the $1.3 trillion spending bill on Friday, March 23, under which Armenia will receive no assistance from the U.S. while neighboring Georgia will get more than $105 million. Also, around $421 million will be allocated to Ukraine. Funds appropriated by the document and made available for assistance for the Eastern Partnership countries are set to advance the implementation of Association Agreements and trade agreements with the European Union, and “to reduce their vulnerability to external economic and political pressure from the Russian Federation,” the document said. In testimony submitted to the Senate panel drafting the Fiscal Year 2019 foreign aid bill, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) had called for a targeted $70 million aid package that would fund de-mining and rehabilitation in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), implementation of a proposal to deploy gunfire locators along the line-of-contact, the expansion of U.S.-Armenia economic and military partnerships, and support for Armenia as a regional safe haven for at-risk Middle East refugees. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |