U.S. Congressmen initiate a letter asking their colleagues to support inclusion of pro- Armenia and Karabakh assistance measures in FY 2017 foreign aid bill

Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Robert Dold (R-IL) have initiated a Congressional "Dear Colleague" letter, asking Members of the U.S. House to join them in supporting the inclusion of a series of pro-Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh assistance measures in the Fiscal Year 2017 foreign aid bill, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The letter Congressional colleagues are encouraged to co-sign supports the following foreign aid priorities:
-- Allocate at least $5 million in Fiscal Year 2017 for humanitarian and development programs in Nagorno Karabakh.
-- Allocate not less than $40 million in overall Fiscal Year 2017 economic aid (including Economic Support Fund, International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement, and Global Health Programs), is appropriated for Armenia.
-- Suspend U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan until its government ceases cross-border attacks, ends its threat of renewed war, and agrees to a settlement of regional conflicts through peaceful means.
-- Close gaps in the distribution of need-based aid to at-risk minority populations in Syria, including Armenians; and, ensure the allocation to Armenia of a proportional level of U.S. and international aid supporting the efforts to regional states to resettle those fleeing from Syria.
-- Target at least 10% of aid to Georgia to fund sustainable job-creation programs in the Samtskhe-Javakheti.
-- Narrow the President's waiver authority of Section 907 restrictions on U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan
-- Reinstate the Nagorno Karabakh Republic into the OSCE Minsk Group peace process as a full negotiating partner.
The ANCA shared similar requests with Members of Congress earlier this year and is launching an online campaign, today, calling on Representatives to co-sign the Dold- Pallone letter.  

To note, in a move notable for its strident anti-humanitarian approach, Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus Co-Chairs Bill Shuster (R-PA) and Steve Cohen (D-TN), in their pro- Azerbaijan foreign aid requests encourage appropriators not to include language designating aid to Nagorno Karabakh, and go so far as opposing life-saving landmine clearance efforts. Reps. Shuster and Cohen argue that "U.S. humanitarian projects in Nagorno Karabakh should be closely coordinated with the government of Azerbaijan. We understand that the training that is provided by the U.S.-funded demining project is being misused for military purposes by the recipients of the training. We are also concerned that there is a lack of transparency in reporting on the demining project."

Representatives Dold and Pallone, in their letter, remind House appropriators that "the Nagorno Karabakh region has some of the world's highest per capita land mine accident rates," and ask the Subcommittee "to reject calls for politicizing critical, life-saving initiatives such as landmine clearance."  The Dold-Pallone letter goes on to ask that the "expansion of humanitarian assistance in Nagorno Karabakh to include support for rehabilitation centers and regional clinics, which serve over 1,000 children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities every year."

In February, President Obama issued his FY 2017 budget proposal, calling for a $22.412 million allocation in economic aid to Armenia - a 22% increase over last year's request, but far less than the $40 million advanced by the Congressional Armenian Caucus and ANCA.  The FY2017 request for Azerbaijan is $10,936,000.  The White House's proposal did maintain parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan in terms of appropriated military aid, with International Military Education and Training (IMET) assistance set at $600,000 and Foreign Military Finance (FMF) at $1,000,000.  President Obama also requested $1,700,000 for International Narcotics Control and Law enforcement for Armenia.