Pallone Announces Economic and Military Assistance Funding for Armenia

July 1, 2010

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., (D-NJ), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Thursday announced that a House subcommittee approved $58 million in funding for economic and military assistance to Armenia for fiscal year 2011. The funding was approved by the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Subcommittee markup of its FY 2011 appropriations bill.

The subcommittee approved $44 million in economic assistance to Armenia, a $4 million increase from the president’s budget request, $3.5 million for foreign military financing, $450,000 in international military and education training. The subcommittee also restored parity with regard to military funding between Azerbaijan and Armenia, a long-standing practice that the president’s budget had broken with. Additionally, $10 million was allocated for Nagorno Karabakh.

“I commend the subcommittee for increasing funding from the president’s budget request, which restores parity in military financing,” said Pallone.

The subcommittee bill also reinforced Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act which stands as a powerful provision of U.S. law in principled opposition to Azerbaijan's blockade and other aggressive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

“The administration is still required to consult the committee on Azerbaijan’s waiver from Section 907, I commend the subcommittee for recognizing the importance of this provision.”

The bill will now be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee.