House Appropriations Committee votes for parity in military assistance for Armenia and Azerbaijan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Today, the House Appropriations Committee passed the Fiscal Year 2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, which included a number of provisions to assist and support Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Mr Sean Oblack, press secretary for Representative Adam B. Schiff (D - CA), told PanARMENIAN.Net that as a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, Rep. Schiff requested strong funding for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and pivotal language affecting the region, much of which was incorporated into the measure. The bill funds the U.S. international affairs budgets, including the U.S. Department of State, foreign military support programs through the Department of Defense, and most foreign aid. The bill will now be sent to the floor for a vote before the full House.



"Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are good friends and allies of the U.S. and this bill represents the strength of our close relationship," Schiff said. "I am pleased that they will get this needed assistance, which will greatly benefit the people of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh."



The Fiscal Year 2008 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations bill:



* Provides $68 million in aid to the Republic of Armenia;



* Urges USAID to allocate up to $6 million to Nagorno Karabakh in humanitarian assistance;



* Ensures assistance parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan is maintained by providing Armenia with $3 million in Foreign Military Financing funds and $300,000 in International Military Education and Training assistance;



* Prevents further changes to the conditional waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, which restricts U.S. aid to Azerbaijan until the President determines and reports to Congress that Azerbaijan is taking steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh; and



* Provides a confidence-building measure to advance a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.