U.S. CONGRESSMEN CALL FOR PARITY IN MILITARY AID TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

In a hearing before the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee in the House of Representatives, lawmakers raised a series of concerns regarding the Administration’s FY 2009 budget proposal for Armenia. Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) raised pointed questions regarding the Administration’s proposal to provide Azerbaijan with increased military funding over Armenia, reported the Armenian Assembly of America. Schiff asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice how the U.S. can justify providing Azerbaijan $900,000 versus only $300,000 for Armenia in Military Education and Training (IMET) assistance. He specifically cited Azerbaijan’s ongoing war rhetoric and large increases in military spending as reason against favoring Baku over Yerevan with additional security funding. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev recently proclaimed that "Armenia did not win the war. The war is not over. Only the first stage of the war has been completed." He added that Nagorno Karabakh will never be independent. Knollenberg said it is "not just the rhetoric [from Azerbaijan] but the threat of war," that is most troubling. He said Azerbaijan’s recent cease fire violations were the worst in 10 years, adding that the U.S. should consider discontinuing military funding to Azerbaijan altogether. "We should either take away military funding to Azerbaijan or threaten to stop it as long as they are threatening Armenia," Knollenberg said, explaining that it is now time to take drastic steps. Knollenberg, along with Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), also issued a strong statement regarding Azerbaijan’s ceasefire violations. In separate responses to the lawmakers, Secretary Rice said the Administration believes that the request levels for Armenia and Azerbaijan are appropriate. Noting concerns with the recent state of emergency in Armenia, Rice also made reference to the suspension of some U.S. assistance programs to Armenia, and indicated that the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) funding could be put at jeopardy. "During this critical time, the U.S. should do more to help Armenia’s democratic institutions," said Knollenberg, Co-Chair of the Armenian Caucus. Congressman Schiff added, "The Administration’s justification for reduced aid to Armenia is not a solution." The Administration’s budget slashed funding to Armenia by nearly 60 percent from $58.5 million in FY 2008 to a proposed level of $24 million in FY 2009. The budget request also called for more military funding for Azerbaijan; a clear breach of the agreement reached with Congress in 2001 regarding military parity for both countries. Executive Director Bryan Ardouny thanked Congressmen Schiff and Knollenberg for raising strong concerns with the Administration’s spending plan with Secretary Rice "We thank both lawmakers for their leadership on this important issue. Providing asymmetrical military assistance to Azerbaijan violates the will of Congress, subverts the short- and long-term U.S. policy goals for the South Caucasus region, and will only serve to legitimize Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockades against Armenia and Karabakh," Ardouny added.

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