US HOUSE PANEL VOTED FOR PARITY IN MILITARY AID TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

PanARMENIAN.Net - Last week the Appropriations Subcommittee of the US House of Representatives voted to maintain parity in military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan. As noted by the Armenian Assembly of America, thus the subcommittee rejected White House proposals to allocate four times more military aid to Azerbaijan than to Armenia. Under a foreign aid bill approved by the panel each of the two countries will receive $5 million in military financing in 2005. The House subcommittee further approved "not less than" $65 million in regular economic assistance to Armenia for the next fiscal year. This is an increase of $3 million over the Bush administration's 2005 budget request but a decrease of $10 million from the 2004 aid level set by Congress in December. The panel also voted to continue America's direct assistance to Nagorno-Karabakh, which will get $5 million worth of further humanitarian projects. The proposed legislation will next be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee before being debated on the House floor.