PanARMENIAN.Net - Today, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs made an unpleasant surprise. For the first time in many years, Congressmen decided against providing funding to Nagorno Karabakh. Usually, a certain sum in humanitarian assistance was provided to Karabakh. This time, U.S., which suffers from economic crisis, yet still trying to purchase the favour of other countries, calling it a “financial assistance” decided to save on Artsakh.
U.S. President's administration, submitting the budget for fiscal year 2012, named it “abbreviated and aimed for the struggle against deficit”. The budget envisages cutting financing programs in Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia from USD 742 mln (in 2010) to USD 627 mln (in 2012). Considering the fact that U.S. government doesn’t have enough means to pay pensions, budget cutting won't be of much help.
State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill calls for $40 million in economic assistance to Armenia. Before, the U.S. President's administration offered to provide Armenia and Azerbaijan with USD 3 mln each by way of international military financing; additional USD 450 thousand were to be extended to Azerbaijan for military trainings, however, the Subcommittee decided against confirming the sums, calling for preservation of parity in Armenia and Azerbaijan's military financing.
As for Karabakh, neither the urges to extend at least USD 10 mln for NKR development, nor arguments about the blockade of Armenian states by Turkey and Azerbaijan served to any purpose. American Congressmen refused to help Artsakh develop.
One may infer the Subcommittee decision came as a result of Azeri and Turkish lobby activities.
A question arises: what made the usually strong Armenian lobby give in, failing to persuade Congressmen against saving on Karabakh?
Maybe Armenia should refuse the “financial assistance” of America, which this time assessed Yerevan’s silence at USD 40mln?
