Congress members seeks $100m in U.S. aid for Armenia, Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Congressional Armenian Caucus is calling for over $100 million in U.S. aid to Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) following Turkey and Azerbaijan’s devastating attacks last year, as House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Ranking Member Hal Rogers (R-KY) begin crafting the FY2022 Foreign Aid Bill, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“We want to thank Representatives Pallone, Speier, and Schiff and their colleagues in the leadership of the Armenian Caucus for advancing this aid package for Artsakh and Armenia in response to the humanitarian and security crisis created by Azerbajian and Turkey's aggression,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “U.S. re-engagement requires robust U.S. assistance to Artsakh, an immediate cut-off in all U.S. aid to Azerbaijan, and strong support for the sovereignty of Armenia as a pillar of regional security architecture.

“The below requests for Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh in the Fiscal Year 2022 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs appropriations bill are critical for assisting the country in helping to make its people more secure, bolster its democracy and sustainable economic development, stabilize its civil society, aid its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and, most urgently, alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Artsakh,” states the “Dear Colleague” letter circulated Wednesday by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Vice-Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA), which included the following budgetary requests:

– Robust funding to directly aid the Armenian people of Nagorno Karabakh to recover and rebuild, including urgently needed housing, food security, water and sanitation, medical and refugee assistance, rehabilitation, and infrastructure needs.

– $2 million for Conventional Weapons Destruction programs in Nagorno Karabakh.

– $100 million for economic, governance, rule of law, and security assistance to Armenia through State Department and USAID accounts.

– the suspension of all U.S. security assistance for Azerbaijan until it has been verified to have ceased all attacks against Armenia and Artsakh.

The ANCA has already launched an action platform where pro-Armenia and Artsakh advocates can write, call, and tweet their U.S. Representatives to cosign the Congressional Armenian Caucus letter outlining FY2021 foreign aid priorities.