Obama Seeks 38% Cut in Aid to Armenia

Proposes breaking military aid parity agreement in favor of Azerbaijan

WASHINGTON—Despite a 9 percent increase in overall foreign aid spending, President Barack Obama on May 7 called for a 38 percent cut in aid to Armenia, a 20 percent increase in aid to Azerbaijan, and the abandonment of the longstanding Armenia-Azerbaijan military aid parity agreement in favor of Baku, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

These figures, released today as part of the president’s fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget, represent a sharp departure from his campaign commitment to maintain U.S. assistance to Armenia and to foster its growth and development through aid and trade. In January 2008 and again only days before the November election, the president said he would “help foster Armenia’s growth and development through expanded trade and targeted aid,” adding that he would also, “strengthen the commercial, political, military, developmental, and cultural relationships between the U.S. and Armenian governments.”

“President Obama, despite his promise to maintain U.S. assistance to Armenia and his campaign commitment to help foster Armenia’s growth and development, has called for a 38 percent cut in aid to Armenia,” said Aram Hamparian, the executive director of the ANCA. “His proposal to sharply reduce vitally needed assistance to Armenia, even as he is increasing overall foreign aid spending, is all the more disappointing in light of the urgent economic challenges facing Armenia.”

Obama’s budget calls for $30 million in U.S. aid to Armenia, down 38 percent from the FY 2009 allocation of $48 million. Under his proposal, funding for Azerbaijan would increase 20 percent from $18.5 million to $22.12 million. The complete international affairs budget proposed by the White House is $53,872,901.

In Foreign Military Finance spending, Obama has requested $4 million for Azerbaijan and only $3 million for Armenia, while funds for International Military Education and Training (IMET) represent an even starker break in the parity agreement struck between Congress and the White House in 2001, with $900,000 being proposed for Azerbaijan and $450,000 for Armenia.

The Foreign Operations Subcommittees of the House and Senate Appropriation Committees will now review the president’s budget and each draft their own versions of the FY 2010 foreign assistance bill.

9 Comments

  1. I am sorry that our President is doing this! It is another bad decision to add to a long list of bad decisions that he is making and has made.

  2. I am truly shocked and dismayed that President Obama not only did not keep his promise to Armenia, then adding insult to injury, he has hurt Armenia with his unballanced request to favor Azerbaijan with more funds. 

    Can somebody please explain to me how he can justify such a disgraceful act? 

    Eva Medzorian 

  3. Before the election I told my Armenian brothers that Obama is a stealth Muslim and he would not mention the word genocide on April 24th. Since being elected he has tilted American foreign policy to the favor of Turkey, the Arabs, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Azerbaijan, and Iran, and to the detriment of Israel and Armenia.

    Russian support is now more critical than ever for Armenia. You can depend on the West to stab the Orthodox peoples in the back (which they have been doing for centuries).

  4. I don’t think he’s a Muslim — just dishonest and disingenuous. But really, what politician isn’t? This same thing would have happened with Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and especially Ron Paul.

  5. Please Armenians, stop with the Muslim crap. It wasn’t the Muslims who drank our blood, it was the Turks. Religion has nothing to do with it. It’s all about our lands and nothing more. I am sick over the betrayal by Obama (whom I supported for a variety of reasons). If McCain had been elected, we’d have a liar, a war monger, and a moron in the White House. 

  6. I have come to believe that every American administration, democrat or republican has their own political agenda to pursue, president Obama is no different. Armenians have had a steadfast agenda of our own, lets not let an American flip flop President divert us from that.

  7. Does anyone even know what this aid money is actually used for ?  The money is not earmarked for
    new medical equipment or food …most of it goes to funding State Department programs (through US AID) to shape Armenian society in the image of the West.  Ultimately, the money is spent on the salaries of non-Armenian Americans who go over there to “punch a ticket” on their resume.  

    The Military spending is really silly.  $3 or $4 million of spending on officer training makes no difference. Azeris have more money to spend on the military then Armenia ever will and Armenia uses all Russian equipment.  So what is it that we are upset about?

  8. Maybe its time for patriotic Armenians to rise up and insist that the corrupt government in Yerevan take some responsibility for whats going on.  Let’s put a stop to all the plundering.  We have more than our share of billionaires and millionaires who have enriched themselves by raiding the national treasury. After 20 years we are still on welfare as a nation.   No more welfare please!  We need a government that cares about all the people. There is something terribly wrong when 39% of the population wishes to leave permanently.  Amot!

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