Azernews.Az

WASHINGTON D.C. – The US House of Representatives will not allocate financial aid to the self-proclaimed republic run by ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno Karabakh region in 2012, reports say.

Armenian media have termed a relevant decision passed by a congressional panel as a result of vigorous effort in Congress by the Azerbaijani and Turkish diaspora.

The US financial assistance, provided since 1998, has been directed to the humanitarian needs of the separatist regime. So far, $10 million has been allotted to the self-proclaimed republic every year, which was angering Baku. The Azerbaijani government has repeatedly called on Congress to halt the assistance.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov has said Baku would issue a statement on the issue after a final decision is passed on the US financial assistance.

According to the rules, following approval by the House subcommittee on foreign aid, the document on foreign assistance will be reviewed by the appropriations committee on August 3 and then by the House of Representatives.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war in the early 1990s. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including the Nagorno Karabakh region, has been under the occupation of Armenian armed forces since a ceasefire was signed in 1994.

Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno Karabakh, backed by Armenia, declared so-called independence in 1991, which has not been recognized by the international community.

Peace talks, brokered by the United States, Russia and France through the OSCE Minsk Group, have been largely fruitless so far.