U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee urges further aid to Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill outlining U.S. funding and policy priorities abroad, including Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, reported the Armenian Assembly of America.

The Appropriations Committee recommended "assistance for victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in amounts consistent with prior years, and for ongoing needs related to the conflict." In addition, the Committee urged "a peaceful resolution to the conflict" and the Bill itself made funds available for "confidence-building measures and other activities in furtherance of the peaceful resolution of conflicts, including in Nagorno Karabakh."

Sources familiar with the Bill noted that funding for Armenia in terms of economic and military assistance mirrors the President's request, which included the following: $27.22 million in Economic Support Funds, $2.5 million in Global Health Programs, and $2.82 million in International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement. The Administration's request also called for $2.7 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) for Armenia and allocates $600,000 each in International Military Education Training (IMET).

On May 15, the U.S. House panel responsible for foreign aid this week adopted a number of provisions promoting U.S. interests and American values in the Caucasus, proposing sharply increasing aid to Nagorno Karabakh from $2 to $5 million and rejecting the Obama Administration's proposed $7.2 million cut in aid to Armenia. The key provisions of concern to Armenian Americans in this measure include: Nagorno Karabakh: Against the backdrop of multi-billion dollar cuts to overall foreign aid spending, the panel proposed more than doubling aid to Nagorno Karabakh, from the traditional expenditure level over the past several years of $2 million to an FY13 level of $5 million, expliciting expanding the mandate of this assistance program to include both humanitarian and development assistance.

Armenia: The Subcommittee also set aid to Armenia at no less than $40 million, rejecting the Obama Administration's proposal to reduce FY13 economic aid to Armenia to $32.5 million, roughly $7.5 million less than the $40 million appropriated by Congress for FY12.

Javakhk: In a move that underscored the panel's interest in the welfare of the Armenian-populated Javakhk region of Georgia, they directed "the Coordinator of United States Assistance to Europe and Eurasia at the Department of State, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, to report to the Committees on Appropriations describing the effects of United States assistance from fiscal years 2005–2012 of programs conducted in Samstskhe-Javakheti and a strategy for future development of this region."

Military Aid Parity: The Subcommittee maintained parity in Foreign Military Financing ($2.7 million) and International Military Education and Training ($600,000) between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The provisions above are subject to further discussions.