funding Archives

U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee ensures continued funding to Artsakh

September 30, 2017 By administrator

The Senate Appropriations Committee adopted the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bill, which ensures continued funding to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

The “Committee recommends assistance for the victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in amounts consistent with prior fiscal years, and for ongoing needs related to the conflict.” The Committee urges a peaceful resolution to the conflict, which, given Azerbaijan’s recent and unprecedented attacks against Armenia and Artsakh, underscores the importance of implementing an accurate cease-fire monitoring system along the line of contact.

In the Assembly’s testimony earlier this year to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny urged robust funding for Artsakh to help meet the ongoing humanitarian and development needs for its people.

The Committee also adopted an amendment offered by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), which would prohibit arms sales to the Turkish Presidential Protection Directorate in light of the vicious attack by Turkey’s security detail in Washington, D.C. against peaceful protesters on May 17, 2017. Last week, 19 people, including 15 Turkish security officials, were indicted as a result of this attack in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit.

The bill also maintains Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, restating the six customary exemptions for humanitarian and other assistance to Azerbaijan. The Assembly continues to call for full enforcement of Section 907 given Azerbaijan’s hostile and aggressive actions against Armenians.

“The Armenian Assembly applauds the bipartisan work of the Senate Appropriations Committee and especially appreciates the efforts of Senator Van Hollen in helping to ensure continued funding to Artsakh. His leadership on critically important priorities for U.S. engagement in Armenia and Artsakh is vital, and we look forward to continuing our work with him during this critical time,” stated Armenian Assembly Co-Chairs Anthony Barsamian and Van Krikorian.

“Moreover, with recent developments by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) shedding light on money laundering by President Ilham Aliyev and his family, known as the ‘The Azerbaijan Laundromat,’ we are seeing the exposure and rejection of caviar diplomacy done for years,” the Assembly Co-Chairs added.

As part of the Manager’s amendment package, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) included bill language on visa restrictions for Azeri officials “about whom the Secretary of State has credible information have been involved in the wrongful imprisonment of Mehman Aliyev, the director of Turan, Azerbaijan’s last remaining independent news outlet.” Similarly, Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) included language regarding visa denial for Turkish officials involved in prolonging the unlawful detention of U.S. citizens in Turkey.

The bill also promotes international religious freedom and protection for persecuted religious minorities, particularly in the Middle East. The $25 million programs also includes $5 million for atrocities prevention programs.

Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian to fund Armenian Genocide epic: Showbiz411

February 26, 2015 By administrator

Kirk Kerkorian

Armenian-American billionaire Kirk Kerkorian is funding a secret feature film about the Armenian Genocide, Showbiz411 reports citing sources.

The Ottoman Empire, precursor to the country known as Turkey, killed around 1.5 million to people in the effort to destroy Armenia and establish itself. Kerkorian is hoping to produce the Armenian “Schindler’s List” to memorialize the holocaust.

There is already an Oscar nominated director and screenwriter signed to the project. Various actors’ names have come up, and some of that may become clear soon. The movie is described by the director– who’s asked not to reveal his name yet– as a “Reds” or “Dr. Zhivago”, a sweeping World War I romance set against the Armenian Genocide.

Kerkorian, who’s always been fascinated with Hollywood, is said to have contributed over $1 billion to Armenian charities and causes over his long life time.

House and Senate appropriators adopt U.S. funding measures to Armenia and Karabakh

June 25, 2014 By administrator

June 25, 2014 | 15:57

WASHINGTON, DC. – The House Appropriations Committee approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Appropriations Bill, which covers U.S. economic, humanitarian, and military assistance to the South Caucasus, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

Specific funding levels to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Nagorno-Karabakh were not delineated in the bill.

The House bill was similar to the Senate version, which was approved last week. Both bills maintained Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, restating the six customary exemptions for humanitarian and other assistance to Azerbaijan. Section 907 was enacted in 1992 and requires the Government of Azerbaijan to take “demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force” against Armenia and Artsakh.

However, the Senate report language, unlike the House, specifically highlighted funding to Nagorno-Karabakh as follows: “The Committee recommends assistance for victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in amounts consistent with prior years, and for ongoing needs related to the conflict.”

Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told the Assembly that “continued assistance for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh remains an important priority.” Commenting on the House bill, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, stated, “I am disappointed that we could not reach agreement on language underscoring the need for humanitarian assistance in Nagorno-Karabakh. We must continue to fight for this assistance as the bill moves through the legislative process to ensure the best possible outcome for our allies Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Given the bellicose language and attacks coming from Azerbaijan on a daily basis, this aid is absolutely critical for the freedom, prosperity and self-determination of those in the region,” Schiff told the Assembly.

The House and Senate FY 2015 SFOPS bills each totaled approximately $48 billion, which is some $700 million below the enacted FY 2014 level, and roughly $280 million less than the President’s FY 2015 request.

The Administration’s budget calls for $1.7 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $600,000 in International Military Education Training (IMET) for Armenia and Azerbaijan. This amounts to a reduction of $1 million for FMF from last year’s budget request, however IMET funding is consistent with past years and military parity is maintained between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In addition to FMF and IMET assistance, the Administration’s FY 2015 budget also recommended that Armenia receive $20.7 million in Economic Support Funds (compared to the FY 2014 request of $24.7 million), and $1.7 million in International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (compared to the FY 2014 request of $2.8 million). The Administration’s budget also zeroed out global health funding for Armenia. In total, the FY 2015 budget provides $24.7 million in U.S. assistance to Armenia, which is a $6.143 million reduction when compared to the Administration’s FY 2014 request of $30.843 million.

Earlier this year, the Assembly submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Committee, stressing the importance of U.S. assistance to Artsakh as well as Armenia, and the much needed humanitarian assistance for Armenians in, and those fleeing, Syria. Additionally, the Assembly’s testimony highlighted the inexplicable pardon of a convicted Azeri officer who brutally murdered an Armenian officer at a NATO partnership for peace training exercise and urged that the Subcommittee cease military assistance to Azerbaijan.

“Given Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockade of Armenia and the escalating security threats from Azerbaijan, coupled with the unconscionable pardon by Azerbaijan of a convicted axe murderer, as well as other regional developments, the Assembly urges Congress to ensure robust aid to Armenia and Artsakh,” stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “Moreover, with the latest developments in Syria and Iraq, the Assembly also urges Congress to take immediate action to provide humanitarian relief to the Christian Armenian community there,” Ardouny stated.

After both measures pass their respective chambers, the next step in the legislative process involves the creation of an Appropriations conference committee, whose members will work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill before sending it to the President for him to sign into law.