Obama plans $40m aid to Armenia in 2011
The 2011 draft budget submitted to US Congress by President Barack
Obama’s administration envisions financial assistance worth $40
million to Armenia. Also, Washington plans to allocate $3.5 million
to the country as part of the military training program, Turkish
media reported.
As for assistance to Azerbaijan, which faces a long-standing conflict with Armenia, the aid package for next year was left unchanged at the 2010 level of $22.1m. The U.S. has designated $4.4m for international military and education training sessions to the country.
The draft budget does not designate separate assistance for the separatist regime operating in the Armenia-occupied Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh region of Azerbaijan.
In 2010, the Obama government had offered aid worth $30m for Armenia. It did not allot any aid to the self-proclaimed republic. However, Congress approved the assistance to Armenia in the amount of $41m. Moreover, it designated $8m to the separatist regime, which drew ire from Baku.
The Armenian Assembly of America, one of the most powerful Armenian lobby groups in the United States, has claimed in a statement that the 2011 aid package for Armenia should make up at least $70m.
Bianka Dodov, the Assembly’s Congressional Relations Associate, said the organization would work with "friends" in Congress to achieve increasing aid to Armenia and the allocation of assistance to the separatist regime.
20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent districts, has been under Armenian occupation for nearly two decades. Defying international law, the separatist regime in Upper Garabagh declared so-called independence in 1991, which has not been recognized by the world community.*
As for assistance to Azerbaijan, which faces a long-standing conflict with Armenia, the aid package for next year was left unchanged at the 2010 level of $22.1m. The U.S. has designated $4.4m for international military and education training sessions to the country.
The draft budget does not designate separate assistance for the separatist regime operating in the Armenia-occupied Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh region of Azerbaijan.
In 2010, the Obama government had offered aid worth $30m for Armenia. It did not allot any aid to the self-proclaimed republic. However, Congress approved the assistance to Armenia in the amount of $41m. Moreover, it designated $8m to the separatist regime, which drew ire from Baku.
The Armenian Assembly of America, one of the most powerful Armenian lobby groups in the United States, has claimed in a statement that the 2011 aid package for Armenia should make up at least $70m.
Bianka Dodov, the Assembly’s Congressional Relations Associate, said the organization would work with "friends" in Congress to achieve increasing aid to Armenia and the allocation of assistance to the separatist regime.
20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent districts, has been under Armenian occupation for nearly two decades. Defying international law, the separatist regime in Upper Garabagh declared so-called independence in 1991, which has not been recognized by the world community.*
Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention.
Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis.
By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more.
Subscribe
You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper
Thank you!